Brothers in Blood and Bond
by JeffC FTW
Summary: Following defeating and devouring Orochimaru, Sasuke Uchiha goes to pay his respects to his slaughtered clan and is greeted with the shocking surprise that the man who murdered them is saying prayer. What follows is an adventure neither brother ever anticipated - and would bring them closer than before.
1. Chapter 1

**I am still fairly new to this fandom, and this pairing which is pretty common is one I NEVER thought I would do. But in the handful amounts of the handsome Uchiha brothers I have read so far, it became so irresistible that I began to spin abuzz with ideas. Two authors I know for sure influenced me: Avenger Hawk and AllieSama, notably with "In Power We Entrust The Love Advocated" (the former's fic) and "CRIMSON" (by the latter). There were also a few others, but I won't reveal everything at once just to spare time.**

 **With that out of the way, I bring "Brothers in Blood and Bond", a tale of angst, love, hate and adventure between the Uchiha brothers. Right after he defeats and consumes Orochimaru, and instead of going straight to get Suigetsu like the original canon, Sasuke goes out to his clan's resting place and is mortified and consumed with hatred when the man he desired to kill for forever has the nerve to come to prayer before their parents' graves. However, before he will get his chance, he is jumped and taken prisoner, so Itachi has to go save his brother. So, yeah, this is yaoi and incest. Don't like, don't read, but for those of you who do, then I appreciate it. :)**

 **Absolutely NOTHING belongs to me. Never gets old, but it does get annoying to say so sometimes, doesn't it? We all know who Naruto and its characters belong to, right?**

Chapter One

The snake had been taken care of, and if Sasuke Uchiha didn't know any better, he'd say he was getting all the more powerful. _Finally..._

The young Genin he once was - he was no more. He trembled before once in the Forest of Death, was bitten with the Curse, the seal into his flesh, coursing through his blood, muscles and every part of his system. Enhanced his abilities, gave him uncontrollable lust beyond recognition...fueled his anger and hate...

...but in the end, Orochimaru wanted him merely for a vessel and did not truly care about Sasuke's desire to kill his own brother.

 _Release that delicious forbidden power...set it free..._

Oh, yes, it was delicious.

It was ferocious. It was insatiable - it was more than he could have asked. It was all he would thank the Snake Sannin for...but now he no longer needed his perverted, omnipresent mentor. Which was why he'd stormed the fragile serpent man's bedroom just when he was reaching his limit, his time coming to find a new body. Three years had passed since the Chunin Exams.

Three years...and Sasuke had time to prep. It was all going to pay off very soon.

He'd almost let it take him over during his round with his opponent, but he forced it down. How foolish he'd been at the time; the forbidden stuff was that much better. He had his strength and will, knowing when to use the Curse Mark as well as he could control the Sharingan.

No one ever understood the darkness that consumed him. No one but the snake - just because - or even his hated criminal of a brother.

The murderer of their entire family.

He was driven insane by that bloodthirsty laugh that he would catch when they were not in jutsu sessions, or anytime after during the days. The maniacal licking of the lips whenever he would hiss the young boy's name - no, young MAN now - and sometimes those vile touches on parts of his body, not in _those_ parts, Sasuke would close his eyes and sneer in disgust at both the snake and with himself. Orochimaru did not go far, but when he did try, it took all of Sasuke to not turn on him with the Chidori ready to cut through the Snake Sage's heart, not when the time wasn't right.

Orochimaru might be a hungry creature for power, gladly gave him a portion of it, but it seemed to have his body in a certain low manner was out of the question. He never did find out if the older man was asexual, nor did he care. If you had to ask, Sasuke Uchiha was still physically innocent in that respect, if the rest of his body and mind - and heart - was not.

His Chidori streams had grown far more powerful than any lightning in nature's skies, and his shuriken strikes paralleled to the way he used to watch his brother toss when they were younger - oh, how young and innocent he'd been, seeing the perfect big brother Itachi was before he destroyed everything good, took away his little brother's innocence and shattered dreams that never would be.

 _No one but the dream to kill that monster, make it reality. It's coming soon._

The Chidori raged blue and shattered the training obstacle in the area. He gritted his jaw with satisfaction that the feeling was mutual enough, that there was no need to waste anymore time and wear himself down. Opening the doors, he left the grounds to begin the first step of elimination.

Behind him, the moth flew too close to the flame and caught fire. Perished instantly.

~o~

The day was beautiful, but not for long. He cast one blank look at the sun overhead and sighed. He was not in danger at the moment, nor did he have important matters, and Kisame would be better off without him for now. He left his shark-like partner alone in their cave while he ventured off into the deep of the forest, to the one place he always knew he would return to again even if he was wanted on the S-rank list.

He brought the sacred item from the nearest town he and Kisame had been in the last week; today was the day to finally carry it out. Wearing his straw hat and his black Akatsuki cloak with the swirling red clouds harmonizing with his resting bloody Sharingan orbs, he glided across the lush glade amassed with tombstones, carefully reading the names until he found the one he was looking for: UCHIHA

All of this belonged for the butchered Uchiha clan - all of it by his own hands, stained with blood, but not as much as his ancestors obtained in war times. But was it like he had a choice in this matter? _My foolish little brother must never know..._

He knelt before the grand headstone labeled with the family name; beneath it were the two names of FUGAKU and MIKOTO _...Father and Mother..._ together in death as in life. He would spend all day if he had to lighting up the sticks he purchased, just this once, as he had done the first time these corpses in the earth were placed less than a decade ago. He would honor them as they deserved it. He'd seen it in their eyes when he brought his katana down on each and every one of them - saving beloved _Otousan_ and _Okaasan_ for last - and spilled their blood on the walls, the floors, and even the windows.

But he could never do it to the sole survivor, the one whose hatred he strived so hard for and knew he was succeeding.

If only he could have told Sasuke the truth.

Sighing, he placed the oil jars beneath the names, one for each, before withdrawing a long green stick of incense, the musky aloe reaching his senses and warming him momentarily, and finished it off with drawing one of the matches that came with. Small flames flickered to life and intensified the atmosphere, the narrow puffs of smoke flying towards the heavens to where Mother and Father and the rest of the clan were looking down on him - and perhaps speaking of how he betrayed them all and would never earn their forgiveness no matter what he did, or how often he would visit their graves.

But what else could he do? Purely habitual and part of his nature, with another release of breath, he reached up to remove his straw hat, revealing the face of Itachi Uchiha and gleaming raven hair held back, as well as the slashed headband of the Hidden Leaf. He set his hat down and brought his hands up before his heart, closing his eyes and bowing his head in prayer.

"You shall not need forgive me - but it was all for the sake of the Hidden Leaf Village. If I could change what happened that night, I would."

~o~

 _"I knew you'd come for me...Sasuke."_

 _"Of course you would - we both knew this day would come, didn't we, Orochimaru? There's nothing more you can teach me. Now you'll see I can be heartless...even to YOU."_

Even when he was ensnared by the Chidori's hold and holding himself up at the sight of the symptoms of the Curse Mark overtaking his pupil - the Sharingan turning the onyx eyes to blood-red, like his brother's, and the flames coming over his flesh on that side of his body where the mark branded him - the serpent sage continued to hold his grasp in place. Sasuke did not kill the hundreds of other opponent ninjas, therefore causing his master to underestimate him and call out his lack of a heart of ice, the thirst to cut flesh and bone.

But it was all for the one on his mind and in his heart.

Yes, he'd defeated those men without a fatal blow, but they were not his desires. He was NOT naïve; he knew what he was doing. He would show this slithering slime.

The Chidori had been locked into the wall beside the weak old man - he was passing off so much younger than he actually was that it made the teenager sick. _"Orochimaru...I'm stronger than you now. So, at this point, I don't see a reason to just...hand over my body."_

If there was only one thing he would thank his old friend Naruto for, it was to make him see that if he let Orochimaru dominate his body and being, he would never kill Itachi. Murdering his brother had not been the blond dobe's ray of light, but it was the raven's. _I will never let this immortal scum take over my very being. He used me, used my darkest desires to get what he wanted..._

 _"A bold statement from a nursling Uchiha!"_

 _"Yes, a nursling was the only kind of Uchiha you could handle. You were there in the Forest of Death during the Chunin Exams to see if there was a 'nursling' to show promise, right? You thought you'd lay claim to me, thought you could bind me to you with this Curse Mark."_

 _To gain one thing, another must be lost..._

And so he'd left behind his old life and all his friends and comrades in the Hidden Leaf Village - including Naruto.

What was his purpose in this life? _To kill Itachi, the man who no longer deserves to be called my brother - the man who slaughtered our entire clan._

 _"I am an avenger - I want revenge. I wanted it so badly I was willing to give up my body to get it. What YOU wanted was the Sharingan, right? But how to get it...Itachi was out of the question, so you came after me, the baby of the clan. Isn't that so? And they say you are the genius out of the legendary Sannin, but it turns out you are just another run-of-the-mill ninja, and you know it. You're not even in the same league as the Uchiha. In fact, next to the Uchiha, genius like yours looks pretty ordinary. The way you covet the power of the Uchiha, the way you fill yourself up with medicines and go leaping from body to body...it's_ disgusting. _As an Uchiha, all I see when I look at you is a miserable wretch. And on top of that, I don't like your style."_

Just what had Orochimaru hoped to accomplish? All he'd done was scurry from one hideout to the next, conducting his pathetic experiments, using up people's lives one after the other, try to unlock the mysteries of nature! He toyed with people's lives for this vain and futile cause - just as he toyed with Sasuke's.

Just like his own brother had done that night...

 _"Why, big brother?"_

 _"To test the limits of my abilities..."_

Oh, how Itachi disgusted him - both him AND _Orochimaru!_

And now, with one down, there was one more to go.

 **No surprise that the actual anime/manga events are seen, because I find them vital. Anyways, reviews are absolutely appreciated, but please no flaming.**

 **There were a few graveyard shots of Sasuke and Itachi I read, but in here, there won't be any of them "doing it" over their parents' graves. If you ask me, it may be hot, but it's still a sacrilege and disrespect of their family's resting place.**

 **Next chapter will have the brothers reuniting. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**In real life I really AM against incest, but with the Uchiha brothers, who can help it? (flushes) So many have done fics of them having "the act" when Sasuke is only a little one (which I find very offensive, but it also makes sense to root things deeper for them as we know later on) while others have them at it later on in Shippuden events, or even the original show. But in here, things will go slightly AU. I'm sure others before me have done them AU during or after the show.**

Chapter Two

The memory of the great white snake, a vile, damnable result of years of research and experimentation - the price of immortality - dead before him, torn to pieces and the rest devoured within his former student's being...it was ironic, wasn't it?

 _A snake that crawled on the earth once dreamt of soaring the sky, knowing full well it was impossible. Still hoping beyond hope that it kept its eye on a baby bird nurtured in its own nest, never realizing that the SNAKE is now the prey because that bird is a hawk - ready to take to the sky!_

He half-expected Kabuto to fight him when he revealed that his master had been bested by the Uchiha heir, so why did he not? Was he...afraid? Sasuke sneered; the fool wasn't worth his time. As far as he knew in all his time here, Kabuto followed Orochimaru like a puppy, with nowhere else to go. He was not much older than Sasuke, but what did he have left?

And as for Sasuke himself, there was nothing but to head out and seek a team. Then he would find his brother.

But there was one thing he had to do first.

~o~

He said his prayers to the others around him, a vast clan as it was, and now there was one more to go. Lighting the incense over this particular grave was especially most near and dear to him - as precious as little brother was.

"Shisui...you who were my best friend and a brother to me," Itachi breathed when he now found himself before the stone of said man who willingly gave his life for a great benefit. The one whose suicide at the local Naka River pointed the fingers to Itachi. _Shisui-senpai..._

"I failed in our attempt to save the lives of our clan, and it seems someday soon I shall join you and the rest, even if those who never knew my true intentions despise me. I just hope my plan to keep Sasuke from joining me soon after works. Your gift has served me well over the years...but I just wish that it had been used for something else."

Only he knew the truth: it had been necessary to prevent what his father and the others would have done against the Village Elders, would have endangered the innocent civilians of the very nation which had existed since Madara Uchiha and the future First Hokage brought to life together.

~o~

 _Mother...Father...the others...and Shisui..._

 _The man whom Itachi said he killed to obtain his Sharingan. Yes, he killed his best friend and told me to kill mine._

The journey had been short of a few days' time. He had set his mind to bringing together a team, to seek out his brother, but first he had to pay his respects to the resting place of the fallen Uchiha clan. One of Orochimaru's past experiments - one Suigetsu with dangerous fish-like characteristics - would be the first contender, and then a certain feisty spectacled redhead with the gift to detect a number of chakra from miles away, and finally end with another bipolar, unstable subject of the snake's long since locked away - one who only Kimimaro could keep from going on a rampage.

Something Sasuke might be able to do, as Kimimaro had been one of Orochimaru's "best and brightest".

The sun had been out, but now it was just being covered with silver-gray clouds - would it really rain today? If it would pour down, then it would befit any internal tearshed, and Sasuke could not bring himself to shed any tears as he set foot near the end of the forest which was slowly opening to the glade that was his family's resting place...and the sight he was greeted with through his activated Sharingan made him flare within with uncontrollable, bloodthirsty emotion.

 _Emotions make me weak, but what I have waited for is right before me._ The bottle was ready to burst then and there as he continued to glare at the kneeling form in the black cloak swirled with symbolic red clouds - how ironic the name Akatsuki meant "dawn", which could be interpreted in many forms - all the while roaring with the need to grab anything on him. A shuriken, his katana, or even bringing forth the Chidori. _Itachi...how DARE you come to our family's sacred grounds?!_

It was too late to go back and change his mind now; his prey was right here in front of him, kneeling before one of the many tombstones of their relatives. Not too far away from Itachi was the UCHIHA stone with the names of their parents beneath. A couple jars of oil each with a still-smoking incense stick rested beneath Fugaku and Mikoto's names, and though he couldn't see the surrounding others with his normal sight, he detected that the others were all treated the same - and Shisui's spot had been saved for last.

Sasuke was ready to strike, reaching for his katana, but as soon as his fingers closed around the hilt, he caught a handful of Itachi's words from afar:

 _"...failed in our attempt to save the lives of our clan, and it seems someday soon I shall join you and the rest..."_

Oh, that was coming sooner than he thought.

 _"...even if those who never knew my true intentions despise me."_

Now the younger Uchiha found himself piqued with curiosity. True intentions? What could he possibly -?

 _"I just hope my plan to keep Sasuke from joining me soon after works. Your gift has served me well over the years...but I just wish that it had been used for something else."_

This man...who had the gall to visit this place...no, this could not take him off now. Itachi was a cold-blooded killer; why should Sasuke believe anything he was saying, after a lifetime of hating and planning his revenge, sacrificing his Shinobi life for this, letting Orochimaru take him in - but his elder brother had no idea he was being watched.

Or was he? If he knew his little brother was hidden and eyeing him, then he must be waiting for the right time as well. But Itachi had also been here long before Sasuke showed up...

 _Damn it, why am I hesitating? This is my chance to kill him now!_

But as long as he continued to watch his brother's service, something was keeping him glued in place.

It was then and there that he sensed he wasn't alone, besides himself and the man beyond his eyesight. He had his weapon in hand when he whirled around, knowing that whoever was behind him was going to get the drop on him - well, he was going to let them guess again...

...but he never had the chance as he suddenly found he could not move an inch of his limbs. "What the hell?!" he growled as he could not pull his sword from its place behind its back. His attention no longer on Itachi, whom he was sure had his attention raptured at last at the sound of his brother's voice, Sasuke saw the reason for his immobility now.

 _Shadow Possession Jutsu._

~o~

Sasuke was here.

He exhaled sharply. "My foolish little brother," he muttered, closing his eyes and shaking his head. No matter; he was finished here anyways. He heard the hustle but did not let Sasuke know he was aware - yet. But now the time to strike had come.

The elder Uchiha, a wanted S-rank criminal, whirled around in time to see his estranged younger sibling trapped in the Shadow Possession Jutsu - the Sharingan saw it all. And he saw the reason why. Drawing himself up to his full height, Itachi glided gracefully over with his hands hidden beneath his sleeves to the scene, knowing that the focus was not on him for the time being. It was Sasuke who had the limelight, who had been the animal as bait for the bigger one.

 _This is going to be fun._

But the captors were the ones who appeared to be having all of the mentioned fun.

They were in black, not so different from himself and the rest of the Akatsuki, but instead of red as a secondary color, there was a marking on the right side of the breast of the coat in the native hiragana which translated to mean the three different words, colored red-orange: desire, lust and appetite. He raised an eyebrow in vague amusement and internal baffle. _Desire, eh? What could they possibly want of my little brother - and perhaps myself?_ He had never once heard of these people, these three with their faces covered by black and preventing identification, the aura of mystery instilling his intrigue. But it also meant that whoever they were and what they wanted, he would not be a fool to assume that this was solely involving Sasuke who was held in place by the shadows which narrowed down to the wrist of the figure in the middle.

"Foolish _otouto,_ it amuses me that you let your guard down when you bring yourself into my presence," Itachi greeted him calmly when they locked eyes, and of course, the other's was far from cordial.

"Bastard," Sasuke spat, both in words and literally. The sight of the dispute seemed to amuse the shadowy characters. One of them spoke then - the Sharingan saw it was the one on Itachi's right, for the average human wouldn't even be able to tell - and in a low, sexless, hollow voice that did not do justice for Madara.

 _"Itachi Uchiha, if you value your brother's life..."_ And then with a snap of the fingers, Sasuke was drawn over and looped about with shadowy bindings, keeping him in place even though he struggled before ultimately giving up as it was pointless. _"...you will come to the Hidden Rain Village mountains within three days' time. Fail - he dies."_

And just like that, all four with his brother included, were gone in a puff of smoke, leaving Itachi with narrowed eyes and clenching his fists.

His little brother had come here to kill him, foolishly so, but before Itachi could find out for himself if Sasuke really had learned his lessons and roughed up during his time with Orochimaru, he had been seized and taken away to the Village Hidden in the Rain, where everything was Akatsuki-oriented.

These people, whoever they were, must be unofficially associated with the Akatsuki, for Itachi did not recognize them and wondered if Kisame could help him. If he was going to follow the order and see what they wanted with Sasuke - and perhaps him - then he needed all the sources he could gather to be prepared.

 **Poor Sasuke gets the drop on him just as he is about to kill his brother - or try to, at least. And now Itachi has to go save his little brother, but needs all the resources he can get. Plus, these mysterious guys who have Sasuke - and are luring Itachi - will be revealed soon. The plot thickens now.**


	3. Chapter 3

**With "Bamboo Woods" out of the way, the sequel to "The Winds of Spring", this fic now has my full attention. :D Hope the wait was worth it.**

Chapter Three

 _"Itachi Uchiha, if you value your brother's life...you will come to the Hidden Rain Village mountains within three days' time. Fail - he dies."_

 _Foolish little_ otouto...

Those words would never get old.

Sasuke had to let his guard lower, didn't he? Itachi shook his head and sighed, staring at the same spot where his brother and the three mysterious shadowy characters vanished. Small essences of smoke lingered, soon to vanish permanently.

 _Taking Sasuke's trail with them._

But no matter. He was very well familiar with the Village Hidden in the Rain - where the Akatsuki dominated much of everything - so he knew a select few locations to look for his brother. Itachi sniffed and loosened his fists; if he valued Sasuke's life...oh, how right that was. He valued his brother's life more than anything in his life.

Even if it meant sacrificing that love he had for his brother, because of the "good" he had done for the Leaf Village.

 _Sasuke, I could never tell you no matter how much I wanted to._

He turned his back to the Uchiha resting place and bowed his head. "It seems Sasuke needs me more than ever," was all he said, because what else was there to say? His brother needed his "dear" big brother now as he did as a child, did he not? Itachi was not sentimental, but who ever said their old bond was completely extinguished?

 _It was not like I had a choice in the matter._

He closed his eyes when he turned away to begin his hunt. The memory of their last day as brothers before it fell apart returned to his senses. The day he and little Sasuke sat on the family compound just as the sun was setting: _"With us, it's different, because we're brothers; we are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you - even as an obstacle you must overcome..."_

The sky darkened at the same time, the chances of the precipitation increasing. Anything to wash away the scalding tears he refused to let unseen spies glimpse.

"I was wondering if I would see you again, Itachi," Kisame said slyly when the Uchiha returned to their cave destination. He had set up the fire, a pile of freshly caught fish beside the pit. Itachi merely chuckled and shrugged off his soaked cloak.

"I see you've outdone your hunt." He slumped down before a rock which reached high enough to the back of his head, leaning back and relaxing. "Nothing but freshly caught salmon - my favorite," he said sarcastically, which his shark-faced partner noticed but only laughed at.

Kisame's trusted Samehada rested beside his similar place across from the other Akatsuki, teeth bared in a never-ending grin as he prepped the first fish for slaughter and fasting. Peeling of the flesh and tearing out the bones. Itachi would enjoy the sight just for the sake of it, and the blood dripping onto the soil like rubies on precious mineral.

His partner was still eyeing him with vast interest. "Say, what interesting tale have you to entertain me with, eh?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Why should this interest you, hmm?" he returned smoothly, folding his arms across his chest. It should be obvious there would never be any secrets between him and his partner. Of course, Kisame always knew about Sasuke and his so-called sentimentality.

"Come now, no hiding the fact that you paid your respects to the dead family," Kisame stated, depthless eyes twinkling with amusement. "You may hide everything well, but not from me..." Itachi exhaled; again, no getting around this.

"Very well. Yes, my foolish brother approached me, but he was jumped. He had his chance to raise his killing hand, but some shadowy characters have taken him captive. I am to meet them in three days' time in the mountains of the Hidden Rain Village."

A heavy chortle broke just as the carving knife was in midst of slicing the unfortunate fish down to where its tail ended. "Oh, ho, so you have to play hero to your little brother who'd like nothing more than to see your head on the spike? Oh, the irony of it all, I see." Kisame sniggered. "Seriously, Itachi, if it were me, I let him deal with it on his own, make a man to take care of himself instead of his big brother stepping in to help keep his balls from being smashed."

Itachi flinched. "Kisame," he said slowly, "has anyone ever told you how vulgar you are?"

"Eh, you hear the stuff coming from Hidan's mouth." Kisame shrugged. "The guy loves to rant about his so-called god 'Jashin this, Jashin that' - seriously, if I was in Kakuzu's place, I would just lop his ugly head and bury it where no one would ever find it," he stated just as he tore the carcass open and revealed bones and innards inside, pink and red mingled.

"However," the shark man went on, "have you prepared for what tricks these characters may have up their sleeves?"

~o~

When Sasuke awoke, the first thing he registered was the fact he could still feel every inch of himself, but when he tried to move, he discovered he couldn't. Opening his eyes, he saw the reason why:

He was suspended in mid-air, beneath an installed light source within a cavern, but no physical bindings that he could see. He was spread eagle-fashion over a circular symbol of those dark captors of his whose name he had registered, in a way, based on the three words in the character etched in their garments:

 _Desire._

 _Appetite._

 _Lust._

 _Just what exactly did they have to do with whatever their shady organization is? Are they another form of the Akatsuki?_

Whoever they were, they had the binding jutsu now that he knew what it was. He was unable to activate the Sharingan, so he could not see their forms in the shadows around him.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" he demanded when he finally found his voice. He struggled once before giving up altogether. It seemed this binding jutsu of theirs sealed off all access to his powers. He hissed through his teeth, even more when a voice responded. It wasn't identified as male or female, but it was still hollow and filled with authority and mystery.

 _"Your questions will be answered when your brother comes to save your life."_

"Are you out of your mind?!" he shouted in outrage, thrashing once with his shoulders. "Itachi doesn't care about me as long as he challenges me to kill him! If I see him again, I shall avenge our clan and restore it as soon as he is dead."

The rumble that echoed throughout the cave was bemused and collected.

 _"Sasuke Uchiha - the last of the extinct Uchiha clan - your brother will not abandon you to certain death. He will prove it when he comes as he was instructed."_

~o~

"They possess the Shadow Possession Jutsu, as far as I have seen," Itachi answered, looking into the roaring flames that licked at the roasting fish Kisame skewered and adjusted to roll over at every angle. "But alas, I have not finished examining their presence. I have thus far gathered that they possess every Shinobi power - but the Sharingan..."

 _That must be why they have Sasuke. They have my brother as the bait to lure me - and they will have us both. But on second thought, it's too simple to assume they want the Mangekyo Sharingan. There's more that even I can't see beyond the box..._

"So, that's how they easily took down the other one with the Sharingan?" Kisame queried, unable to keep his famous toothy grin off his face. "Sasuke does not have the powerful Mangekyo awakened within himself, yet he got himself snagged by -" He looked pointedly at the Uchiha who narrowed his eyes in return.

"These people," Itachi said softly, "they cannot be one we know in written context or knowledge. I believe they are an unofficial association with the Akatsuki..." _Only I will not know for sure until I set foot into their territory._ "...or they are something else entirely. I won't know for sure until I reach the mountains in three days -"

Kisame snorted. "Hm, three days, huh? Talk about generic, giving a time frame for how long you have until they off little Sasuke," he stated plainly.

Itachi shook his head. "They won't kill him." He sighed. "But yes, Kisame, only that's not important. The issue is someone has kidnapped my foolish little brother, and they will pay for it."

His partner was just taking the fish off the pit and was slicing it in half, one half for himself and the other for Itachi. He hadn't realized how hungry he truly was until the aroma reached his nostrils; his stomach growled. "Still have those feelings for your baby brother, I see," Kisame noted, taking his seat beside the Uchiha heir, who held his breath and refused to answer that. "I always thought you did..."

"That's enough, thank you," Itachi bit out.

 _You know he is right. You still love Sasuke._

He shut his eyes, the heat of the fires and Kisame's knowing gaze causing his flesh to crawl. But not as much as the thought that Sasuke had been the one to kill Orochimaru. _Sasuke...you really have gotten strong. But when I rescue your worthless little self, you had better prove it to me in battle._

His brother better do him proud, if he could take down one of the legendary Sannin...even if Sasuke loathed him as his big brother "wanted" him to.

~o~

 _"...your brother will not abandon you to certain death. He will prove it when he comes as he was instructed."_

Sasuke was stricken for just a moment before regaining himself. He..Itachi...was coming for him... _NO! No, I must not let him overpower me! If he truly is coming for me, then to find me like this - he will once more call me weak. I allowed my guard down; what a fool I was! But I will not let it repeat itself, no matter what._

"If Itachi does come for me," he spat, "then he will no doubt kill every single one of you until it is just the two of us. Your willpower won't be mastered over the Mangekyo Sharingan."

There was a hollow chuckle. _"Believe us, Uchiha, the Sharingan is what we shall expect of your brother. But he will not know what will hit him once he comes."_

Sasuke felt his eyes widen with horrified realization: _Itachi is walking into a trap. What are they going to do?_ Right then and there, for the moment, he found himself fearing for his brother. No one should handle Itachi but HIM and _him alone_.

 _Itachi, stay away..._

 **Don't be afraid to review; I love hearing what people have to say, but as I said before, please no flaming. With that out of the way: uh, oh. :O Itachi is walking into a trap, but he'd better know that could be coming...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Merry Christmas to you all. :D**

Chapter Four

 _"Itachi will not refuse an opportunity like this, Sasuke. You can drop the pretense that you wish he would not come to your aid...because, deep down, you DO. A brother needs his brother more than ever, no matter what obstacles come between, isn't that right? No matter that one slayed the entire family but left the one he truly treasured most in the universe alive..."_

Snarling, Sasuke thrashed against his invisible bonds again to no avail. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP ABOUT MY BROTHER!" _If I hear one more word...!_

Suddenly, a cold tremor covered his right cheek, as if being caressed by an invisible hand, causing him to flinch and squeeze his eyes shut. _"Sasuke,"_ the voice breathed into his ear, _"you must not curse and fight. You know it is pointless."_

He pulled his face away from the unseen appendage and face. "Well, then," he said, deciding that maybe he could get something out of this after all, if not anything he really desired to know - but there was one in particular. He might not be satisfied with a response, but who knew unless he tried one last time? "Will you at least answer one more question of mine?"

There was a pause for a moment. His temper was on the verge of snapping when it toned down when his unseen detainer granted him that satisfaction. _"Very well, Sasuke, ask,"_ was all it was, and it was good enough.

"You never answered my question: Who. Are. _You?_ " he ground out.

 _If I get no answer..._

 _"Well, Sasuke, you were to find this out sooner or later. Alas, we still cannot tell you everything until your brother comes, but our name is called Yokusuki."_

~o~

"So, these people could be just like us," Kisame stated when they picked up their journey, leaping through the trees without a waste of time for the Hidden Rain Village. _Fail - he dies..._ continued to echo in his mind. He hissed.

 _No, they can't kill him if they need me that badly. For all we know, it could be the both of us. That's all the more reason..._

Kisame was still talking, not that he ever zoned and lost track. "They do not have your family's Sharingan -"

"Much less the Mangekyo," Itachi corrected, jaw muscles taut.

"- which tells me that they are looking forward to taking that from the both of you and then offing you afterwards."

Itachi sighed. If only he had all the answers. Those three characters of their emblem formed the familiar word of _yokubo_ , which was one of many for "desire". But if he had to take a guess for the time being, the word alone was not befitting of the name of an organization. Nevertheless, whoever they were, he would find out soon enough. _Hang on, little brother..._

The day was drawing to an end, but they would stop again well into the night soon enough. A ninja needed all his energy, but Itachi Uchiha would gladly spend all he had until he arrived with his partner near the Hidden Rain Village in time for the deadline of three days' end. "I'm not a fool," he said to Kisame, "but I strongly and sincerely doubt they will murder my brother before I get my chance."

"Anything to just get you pumping." Kisame laughed more like a wild dog instead of the predatorious sea creature he was.

 _Oh, yes...but I shall not give the satisfaction that it is working. No one will see this. And I shall ignore it; I will never show weakness._ "We must think of a plan, Kisame," he said, his partner concurring.

"Yeah, we can't just burst in there without preparation, right, Itachi? When we get to the mountains, we scout out every known rock to look under, every cave there is - oh, that's going to waste time when we should be looking for your precious little brother!"

Itachi sniffed and allowed the Sharingan to come forth. "Yes, it would take awhile and increase our chances of letting them actually carry out the death threat - but we will search the entire mountain if we have to...but it will take less time with the help of my Sharingan."

Kisame swallowed. "Agreed...but this means taking it up with Pain and getting his permission first." _And that meant wasting time, and Sasuke is doomed._ Itachi never disobeyed direct orders from the Akatsuki head, but it truly wasn't Pain he would have to go through...

~o~

 _Yokusuki..oh, so they did get their name from that one word. Should have guessed._

"Fitting," was all Sasuke could manage, but now that he knew, his appetites for knowledge of these people could not be sated. He wanted more...and it seemed his behavior was sensed by them.

 _"Yes, our name derives from all things desire. We are like many in this world in which we thirst for everything that others cannot keep within their fingers; anything that they won't release, we take by force. But you already guessed that, Sasuke, have you not?"_

He closed his eyes. _Yes._ But he would not give that satisfaction.

"So, what do you people want from us, or should I already figure that out as well?" he asked suavely, attempting to keep himself in control.

The Yokusuki, if they were standing out of the shadows, would have shown the smirk written on their faces. _"Yes, after all, it's what you have in you that you have flowing: the prestige of such a fine bloodline, one of two that are left of what was once Konoha's greatest clans...now reduced to you and your brother who slaughtered them like lambs."_

Sasuke hated being reminded of his brother, and the way "he" spoke about his family - the death of his kin - made him angry. How dare they be called lambs; it was like calling them weak! _No, they were strong and always have been!_

 _"If that is all you wish to know for now, Sasuke, then we must prevent your curiosity from getting further than it already has."_

Before Sasuke knew what was happening, his world was darkening around him, sound and awareness abandoning him.

~o~

Glowing purple eyes closed momentarily as he allowed himself - Kisame in tow - to meet up with the other Akatsuki members...or rather, what was left. Kakuzu, Hidan and Sasori had been taken care of by the Leaf Village Shinobi, and there wouldn't be enough left of them to call an organization if any more of them were killed.

Rinnegan eyes reopened. _"Your brother, Sasuke,"_ Pain spoke at last, solemn, " _the one who slayed Orochimaru..."_

Itachi answered. _"Yes, he has been captured. I have a short time before they kill him."_ He narrowed his eyes at the shadowed form of Deidara who had to make a wise crack at a time like this.

 _"Did the job for me."_

 _"I was not speaking to you, Deidara,"_ Itachi snarled, before their leader broke it up.

 _"Silence, Deidara - and Itachi, as for your request..."_

Something along the lines of dread dominated the rogue Uchiha. He held his ground. _"Pain-sama,"_ he said respectfully, awaiting, planning his plan B if the Akatsuki leader - when it was actually _Madara_ , in this room amongst their presence but would not reveal his true self to the others - would refuse him...

 _"...I must refuse."_

His heart clenched and remained firm as stone along with the rest of his innards. Kisame looked his way with a taut glare, whether it meant disappointment, utter agitation, or something else entirely. _Pain-sama..._ his mind trailed off. He never questioned the Akatsuki "god" at any point, but now he was slowly cracking internally with the expansion.

 _"We do not know these people; even through my grasp over the Hidden Rain Village, I have not foreseen this coming to light. I have utter knowledge of the land, which leads to the conclusion that they do not stem from Amegakure. Your brother's fate is in his own hands, Itachi. He must save himself."_

Deidara tittered. _"Sorry you got owned, Uchiha."_ The art-explosive fanatic loathed him to no end over the fact that Itachi's Sharingan beat him and brought him into the Akatsuki, not that Itachi gave a damn. The blond had to turn the word "own" back onto him. But at the moment he did not give a damn about anything but one.

 _"Hn, keep talking Deidara,"_ he said icily, _"and I shall finish what you started when you joined."_ He returned his attention back to Pain. _"With due respect, great leader, but Sasuke is my brother - my flesh and blood. The other last of our kind."_ Kisame's eyes asked him what the hell he was doing, but he had to take the risk and put his foot forward, stand forth.

Those Rinnegan eyes narrowed. _"A bold move to question your superior,"_ he said calmly, _"but the decision stands. An utter waste of time to request calling the entire group only for this. Itachi, do not make the grave error of going against my word. Dismissed."_

He withdrew back into himself, back into the world he stood with his partner. He closed his hands into fists. _Permission denied...denied..._

Sasuke's fate was sealed.

"Sorry, Itachi." Kisame apologized only for the sake of it, but he wouldn't accept it lightly. The simple word would never cut out for anything. He would NEVER accept sorry, nor would he accept his brother's fate like this. Opening his eyes, the Sharingan flashed with a vengeance, looking to the north where they would go.

 _It's settled. I won't listen to Pain. He's not the true leader; Madara is. No matter for the time being that I will not allow him near my brother; Sasuke's life comes first...first and foremost. He will spit at me when he sees me again, he won't forgive me - but he will thank me one day._

Itachi found his eyes meeting Kisame's now. The shark man grinned, knowing what he was thinking.

"We're going to get your little brother anyway, eh? I like a little dangerous excitement of disobeying orders once in awhile." Itachi allowed a slight smile to show in agreement, nodding once.

~o~

Pain closed his lined violet eyes and sighed through his iron-pierced nose. He foresaw this coming because the masked man informed him of this.

"He's disobeyed me," he said gravely. "He has never crossed me once...Madara."

"It was bound to happen one day, sooner or later, Naguto," the elder Uchiha said calmly, leaning against the opened balcony entrance that displayed the one hundred and eighty degree view of the Rain Village. A thunderous sheen of silver mystified the picturesque view which harbored more than meets the eye. "But you shall not act without my hand on the last of my descendants. The Yokusuki won't murder them, either - but that does not mean Itachi and Sasuke will avoid the vital parts to play in store."

~o~

 _The Village Hidden in the Rain...the kingdom of the Akatsuki._

And was it ironic that so much blood, sweat and _tears_ had been shed when violence dominated this region back in its days? The "tears" that murderously fell from the sky reflected the past, present and future to come.

Tears that did a good job to hide the ones that threatened to spill from Itachi Uchiha's glowing red orbs as he and Kisame stood in the open of the cliff overlooking the somber valley, scouting the mountains as the village was not necessary to look for his hostage brother.

It did not take long to find his presence, his chakra levels - and he was in the topmost peak north in the center of the mountain landscape.

Kisame snickered, unable to help himself. "Samehada is looking forward to the next meal out of these guys," he said conversationally, giving his prized weapon a tender, loving pat. Itachi responded only with a simple "hn".

 _Ah, the adrenaline...the exhilaration...the obstacles awaiting..._

 _...Sasuke..._

However, when they arrived within moments rather than hours or even mere minutes, Itachi found himself crumbling when he did not sense the presence of Sasuke's captors. Could their chakra be cloaked so well that even the Mangekyo Sharingan could not...?

"Heh, I don't like this," his partner grumbled when they began to scour the peak. "Not able to smell chakra from miles and feet away anytime. This makes it harder for us, easier for them to drop the bomb on us."

Itachi found himself looking about, east and west, forward and behind which was south, but it irritated him to no end...and that irritation set off the greatest bomb, a great impact that hit him and Kisame so fast neither saw it coming in time.

 _Lightning Style Jutsu!_

"ITACHI, LOOK OUT!" Kisame roared, but it was too late. When they were knocked off their feet and in opposite directions, Itachi was aware of the feel of something _wrapping_ around his arms and legs, his entire body... _binding_ him to the ground...

 _Chakra bonds._

Smoke swirled before his eyes above him, rain pelting over his flesh and his vision, but familiar shadowy human forms towered over him, lined with fierce red-orange and etched with that emblem. He glared up at them, spitting up at them because it was the least he could do. A hissing sigh was heard from one of them.

 _"Take him inside. His brother is prepared and waiting for him."_

 **In terms of creating the mysterious power group called the Yokusuki, I was looking up several Japanese words for "desire", and amongst many was _yokubo_ , which I eventually changed the end "bo" to "suki", like Akatsuki. In terms of the color red-orange with their customary black, red-orange itself corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domination, aggression, and thirst for action (all of which is vital in their plans which will be revealed in the upcoming chapter).**

 **Uh oh, now poor Itachi has been ensnared. :S And so has Kisame - but that's not the worse to come. Stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Be warned that you will be triggered at points. What will happen in here was what came to my mind in the very beginning and therefore set the story's foundation.**

Chapter Five

He was hauled to his feet, the shimmering blue lines of the chakra bindings bringing his arms to his body while his legs were left to allow him to walk. Kisame was nowhere in sight. Alarm blared within his brain. He didn't harbor sentimental feelings for the shark man, but that didn't mean he couldn't be concerned.

 _Kisame got away. He must be hiding himself very well...planning to spring me and Sasuke, is he?_

You never leave your partner for whatever reason. His old life lesson: _those who leave behind their comrades are the worst scum in existence._ He gave up everything he had - including his little brother - just to protect the one most precious to him in the world. Here he was bound, being brought down the mountain to the cave entrance. Before his vision, blackness swirled and transported him elsewhere...and it wasn't long before Itachi found himself within the depths of the mountain.

 _Oh, so this is what they have in mind...I should have known._

Gazing around, unable to use the Sharingan - _they have the binding jutsu, so I can't use Madara's techniques either -_ and knowing how his little brother felt, Itachi had to brace himself, accept this and then concoct any means to flee the grasp of this cult, now that he was positive that they were nowhere near the means of the Akatsuki. The Akatsuki would never stoop low to what these characters were arranging: setting up the circle with their emblem and candles, holding him back to watch for the time being...but the worst that he witnessed was not even the half of it. He looked ahead to see three cloaked forms, the light enflaming the red-orange lines, over a certain form that made him narrow his eyes.

 _Little brother._

Sasuke lay on a natural rock slab, pale and in a stupor; drugged, perhaps. To take in that face, the spiked mop of black hair, his relaxed features...oh, and the long toned legs as well as the bare shoulders and what he could make out of a chest - Sasuke had been stripped naked and was being "treated". A supposedly cleaned cloth was being run over his legs, arms and shoulders as well as the rest of his body, a certain important section in the middle currently hidden by the body in the elder Uchiha's visual range. Snarling through his teeth, Itachi turned his attention to the faceless figure now standing in front of him. "I assume you owe me the explanation, now that Sasuke and I are in too deep," he stated casually, if far from it.

 _"Yes, Itachi. Your brother knows enough, what we are striving to accomplish. The Yokusuki have been waiting for years to obtain the Sharingan from the Uchiha clan - but your brother and yourself are the only ones left. The Byakkugan is highly prized, but no match for the Mangekyo."_

Madara's words of wisdom and history came to light. "You intend to take the light from our eyes," Itachi stated, clenching his bound fists, "and then kill us to keep us out of our misery of living in the darkness." _So the theories between Kisame and I have been correct all along..._

 _"No."_

"No?!" he repeated, infuriated that he was wrong. But then a black hand came up to caress his cheek in a nearly affectionate manner that he drew his face back and gritted his teeth, forced to look upon the featureless visage.

 _"No, Itachi, you and your brother will not be killed. We have promised you that. No, you both serve far more vitally that it will enhance the continuation of the Sharingan bloodline. Given only Uchiha possess the savage visual prowess that Madara from the elder days achieved, we will not use force - unless it is necessary. Unless you yourself cooperate with our good cause..."_

Itachi closed his eyes now, the hint of the riddles dawning on him now. _My brother and I...NO! Sasuke would never agree to this, and I won't allow this!_ "No," he said strongly. "I will not allow my brother and myself to be used in your depraved schemes -" He was cut off when he felt his hair being yanked backwards, nearly snapping his neck, temporarily blocking his oxygen passage. A hissing chuckle was heard.

 _"I'm afraid you and Sasuke do not have any choice in the matter."_

Something was placed at his lips - a chalice filled with this thick, dark-colored substance, tasting bitter and suffocating him. Was Sasuke given this before he arrived? _I have to endure this with him after all, it seems. Oh, Sasuke..._

~o~

 _Everything is so...swirling._

He opened his eyes and winced at the light, no matter how minor it was. His body was like wet clay, molded and played with for the amusement of the hands which held it. His muscles and bones were still functional, but parts of his brain zoned in and out.

Sasuke noted the feel of rock against his back, his flesh chilled, telling him he was completely naked and laying somewhere in the cave. He forced his arms to move, raising them to his face, rubbing his eyes and obtaining some of his original vision back, but the drug he was given was still in his system. No amount of jutsu could make him as submissive as he was now.

 _I'm doomed._

He seethed inside; an Uchiha would NEVER give up without a fight - but now he was in too deep to summon his willpower to fight back.

Hands placed themselves on his naked shoulders, urging him to stand. He wobbled on his legs but stood on both feet with help. A strong aroma reached his nostrils, radiating off his exposed flesh and causing his stomach to roll. Lavender, cinnamon, incense... _an aphrodisiac._

His voice was slurred. "Wh-what -?"

 _"Don't fight, Sasuke."_

His naked body shivered with the effects of the nameless drug and "love spell" settling in. His whirling brain registered one clear factor as to what the Yokusuki wanted of him now, and that was as far as he went before he found himself standing in the middle of the circle of candles and their emblem painted into the cold, unforgiving earth: _they are mating me with another. They are using me to bring forth a child with the Sharingan. Taking it from me is either too simple or too difficult...oh, gods, I can't think straight right now._

Heat sizzled his flesh; his nerves were on fire, and as a result, every sensitive part he had tingled as far as they would go. Sasuke found himself looking down at himself, at every muscle and sensitive dark pink part which begged for another's touch. It wasn't of his own will, but his body was dying for another's contact. He threw his head back and gasped; hands were back on him again, and not on his shoulders this time. Oh, gods, they were touching _those parts_ \- his nipples, his hips, the sensitive spots around his groin, and even a slight PETTING of the patch of hair at the top of his thighs - he tried to jerk away, knowing these caresses were by his captors, not with the intentions they wanted of him.

They were rousing him for the other they had waiting for him.

He was alone within moments, his body on higher fire with impatience and the kind of inferno that was resistant and far from his own will...but oh, he needed the desire, never mind the terrible truth behind this...

"Sasuke."

His senses were alert enough to recognize the voice of the one before him. His blurred vision cleared enough to make out the form of another male, pale and nude as he was - and perhaps just as aroused against his will. "Itachi."

Suddenly, he was thrust forward at the same time the other Uchiha was. He was caught against the taller form, strong arms wrapping around him to keep him close. Unconsciously, his arms found their way around Itachi's shoulders...and his flesh was more than on fire. Bubbling to the highest level, needing more of his brother's body and essence.

"Oh, _otouto,_ " his brother murmured, burying his face into the younger's crook where his neck and shoulder met. "I promised I would not leave you..."

Sasuke exhaled, turning his face the other way. This...embrace...this touch...even if it was beyond his rational control...it was so...he wanted MORE. The heat of his brother's body with his, their need radiating between, and the firm, silken flesh beneath his hands as the sculpted muscles flexed against his...powerful, delicate hands caressing his equally carved back, sending arousing shivers up his spine...

Reality kicked in enough to lift his head and look into Itachi's onyx eyes, mirroring his. " _Aniki,"_ Sasuke uttered breathlessly, "we are brothers. We shouldn't do this." _We can't...it's forbidden..._ incestuous...

And then Itachi surprised him, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. "No...but we _must_."

~o~

The bitter flavor down his throat left a tangy aftertaste, like citrus...and dare he explain how his body was reacting now when he found himself being stripped down, his cloak sliding off his shoulders and then his tunic and trousers, the fishnet undershirt - and then Itachi was naked, feeling himself in heat far greater than an animal in the mating season.

 _We shouldn't...we are brothers..._

 _...but the Yokusuki want us to. We are the vessels to the next line of the Mangekyo Sharingan...but how will they get two males to have_ children?

By the time the last article of clothing was removed from his body, he nearly jumped out of his skin that he was being touched in forbidden areas; his lower back, hips and others that should never be explored. Itachi's teeth ached so terribly that he wanted to unleash the primal scream of offense; looking ahead, he managed to make out that Sasuke was being treated the same way. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw the man his little brother had physically transformed into: the lithe body with broader shoulders, the long limbs carved like the gods had done the job, the chiseled chest and abs if smaller than his own - and finally the place which no brother should be allowed to see. Itachi twitched in his own special place.

"Sasuke," was all he could manage as he found himself standing within the circle where they would play their part. This was what he allowed himself to be ensnared in, suffer the fate his brother would - but they would get these guys one day; he swore this with the power of the Mangekyo.

His name rolled off his brother's tongue. "Itachi." It was then and there that they were both shoved forward and into each other's embrace. What he could manage of his rational protective instincts rushed to his brain, the blood murderously thundering along with what rushed down to below his stomach. This was Sasuke, his brother - his baby brother, his flesh and blood he swore to Pain, Madara and the rest of the Akatsuki - the one he swore to protect since the day he was born. Under the influence and submitted to commit incest for the cause of a shady, sadistic organization in the shadows.

"Oh, _otouto,_ I promised I would not leave you." To smell Sasuke, feel him, hold him like this and never wanting to let him go. This was the aphrodisiac bringing these feelings out into the open. He might regret it when he was back to his senses, under the watchful eyes of their tormentors, but it didn't matter right now.

And while he expected Sasuke to snark back at him, curse at him and remind them of their positions, he did not. His body wanted this as much as his brother's.

Sasuke attempted to break it off by locking his eyes with the elder Uchiha's. " _Aniki,_ we are brothers. We shouldn't do this." Mirrored his own thoughts. With a sigh, Itachi leaned down and kissed his _otouto'_ s forehead. He was right; this was sinful, made since long before they were born, before humankind was created...but they were here and had to comply to each other's craving.

Itachi then leaned down to capture Sasuke's lips with his. "Come, my little brother," he murmured after a long, deep and hungry session of moaning and tasting, before picking up Sasuke by the backs of his thighs, beneath his firm buttocks, and hauled him up. Sasuke's legs wrapped around his waist, locking his ankles together and pressing them against his own rear end. Itachi bucked himself in response before letting his legs give way so he was on his knees. He laid his baby brother down on his back, looking him over one more time and then at himself. Taking in the position they were in.

 _I'm going to make Sasuke mine. I'm going to take my little brother in a way that shouldn't be...but why does it feel so good and disgusting at the same time?_

"Oh, Itachi!"

His hips moved forward, drawing the exclamation from the younger Uchiha, briefly rubbing his pubis against Sasuke's, the fire amplifying tenfold between them. He closed his eyes and hoarsely breathed through his parted lips. Sasuke's desire was tight and throbbing against his. The nerve bundles they shared shot throughout the lower halves of their bodies. Sasuke turned his face to his right closing his eyes in defeat.

"I was...supposed to...kill you..."

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle. "When this is over, we shall see about that, foolish little brother."

The passion was too powerful to keep either of them waiting any longer. His head felt like it was going to shut down; he needed to prepare them both soon, otherwise they would pass out on each other before they were sated. "Sasuke," he whispered, "I'm going to prepare us." The tip of his length was already leaking, and he felt Sasuke's was doing the same. Reaching down between their bodies, Itachi huffed when he stroked himself and then reached to do the same for Sasuke, gathering as much of the pre-come as he could, using it as the best substitution of preparation he could gather. His heart was erratic; he would rather die than hurt his little brother like this.

 _He's going to hurt far more when we both return to our senses._

Sasuke hitched a breath, stifling another cry when his brother's fingers brushed over the sensitive, hidden treasure between his legs, urging him to loosen up so that Itachi could enter him properly. When his task was done, and his brother was ready for him, Itachi eased himself into Sasuke's virgin body.

The scream that tore from Sasuke when Itachi broke the barrier and made him a full-fledged man like himself could very much have shattered the walls of this mountain peak cavern.

He lost himself within his brother's tight heat, his pounding desire striking flesh against flesh, howls of ecstasy tearing from their throats with each savage pound, watched by a hidden, unwanted audience that brought this between them.

~o~

Kisame was not sure what to make of what he saw from his hiding place. The Uchiha brothers...even Samehada reacted convulsively at the sight along with its master. He grunted under his breath.

"You got that right."

He then felt the rush of chakra energy gathering behind him, but his sneak-up didn't try to restrain or fight him. He turned to the corner and watched the shadowy humanoid figure behind him, narrowing his eyes and grinning. "Ah, so you got me now? Ready to bring me down to join the fun?" He jerked his head in the direction of the brothers' action: Sasuke was now having his turn with Itachi, straddling him and doing all the work. But Kisame paid no more mind to that, though his plan to spring them and play the hero for once was on his mind all along.

 _"We have done what we could with the brothers, Kisame. When they are finished, you are free to take them and go...but when the time comes, we shall retrieve them. The seal placed over them was released, so the second card will reveal itself in due time."_

~o~

 _Searing flesh...adrenaline blood rush...pain and pleasure..._

"Itachi...?"

 _Oh, gods, I remember him._

Sasuke managed to pry open one eye, seeing that he was coming back to himself. The other eye opened, and he saw the candles brighter than ever. Were they replaced with new ones, or had they been burning this whole time? How long...what happened...?

The last thing he remembered was _his brother's voice_ \- or was it all a drug-induced dream after all? They didn't actually...embrace each other, kiss...did things no brothers were allowed to do -

A soft moan behind him snapped him further into alertness. He bolted upwards then, and when he did, he winced at the pain in the lower half of his body. Sasuke then looked down to see his nude body, his erogenous regions tingling a bit, his pubic hair still damp - and there was dried blood and white substance trailing down the insides of his legs, telling him his virginity had been taken after all. His heart froze; that also meant... _oh, dear Kami, no; Itachi and I didn't!_

But one look behind him to see his older brother, the murderer of their clan and the one he swore to kill, in the same state as he was - butt naked and bleeding down his legs as well as his brother's seed still lingering - and _beautiful...Itachi was beautiful, like a gift from heaven._ Sasuke tried to shake his head clear of the forbidden description. He sat up, bringing his throbbing legs to his chest and rocked himself back and forth, trying his best to control himself and failed miserably.

There was the sound of rustling. Itachi was rising from his slumber. "Sasuke," his deep, velvety voice said softly. He moved to be close enough to his younger brother, but Sasuke inched away from him, not wanting anything to do with his body against his. Never mind that he remembered feeling so good; it was wrong in every sense, those monsters forced them to do this...and they would pay.

 _WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!_

 **I confess that I was on fire when I did this. (flushes) The deed had been done, without the brother's approval of course, but that's not the end of it. Stay tuned for the next chapter (though I was warned the Internet would go out tomorrow, but keep your fingers crossed; I won't be able to publish tomorrow, but who knows). But that doesn't mean I am abandoning this story, I swear to you all.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 _Sasuke..._

The name of his brother was the first thing to come to light when he awoke from his post-coital-induced slumber. Another thing he registered was the lingering stickiness down his inner legs, informing him that what transpired between him and Sasuke actually happened.

Itachi sighed sharply when he found himself looking down Sasuke's legs and seeing the same thing. Their shared blood, their shared seed...their shared bliss...

All of it wrong and they both knew it, and both had been powerless to stop it.

He continued to gaze over Sasuke's beautiful body, his legs drawn up and unable to stop his shaking. He was in grief over his lost purity, over the fact it had to be with his _brother_ of all people, that it was instilled in them by demented ones...Itachi lowered his gaze to his own once more. His flesh was still relishing the aftermath, but his mind disagreed altogether.

And yet, why did it refuse to leave him be?

He inched closer to his younger brother who in return slid away from him. "Sasuke."

"Don't," the younger Uchiha bit out. "Do not...speak..."

He mimicked his sibling and sat on his thighs, his insides tight as a reminder that his manhood was equally, completely, in place after what they'd done. He never submitted himself to anyone, even Madara, though the elder had made some passes in their times - and it answered the unspoken question in Itachi's mind about whether or not Orochimaru did more than simply brand his brother. He allowed his eyes to land on the place where the Curse Mark rested in Sasuke's flesh, at the end of his neck. _Orochimaru...you repulsive..._

"I didn't wish this either, you know."

Sasuke refused to look at him when he replied. "For once I agree with you."

That was all they would say to each other before they realized they weren't alone anymore. Itachi found he could use his Sharingan and that Sasuke could do the same. Their somewhat rapists - the term would apply nicely on the level that they coerced him and his own baby brother into this, so what was next? - surrounded them in the shadows. "What do you wish of us now?" Itachi asked coldly standing and not ashamed of his exposure.

Apparently, Sasuke decided to snap back from where he was still sitting. "Come to enjoy the show again?" he sneered, lifting his eyes to his right.

Itachi could sense it all off his brother; Sasuke wanted to maim them, cut them piece by piece, starting with their genitals with a kunai before shoving them down their throats and allowing them to bleed to death. A million ideas of how to get back at them involved a Chidori to snake venom - similar to acid being poured into open wounds. Itachi was not sure which one he relished more, but any of them would be satisfying.

 _"You are both free to go."_

~o~

He felt dirty, violated - but it wasn't like Itachi violated him of his own will. It did not...make this...RIGHT...

Sasuke wanted to shrink away for the moment, but he doubted it would do any good. He had just been forced to have sex with his own brother, his adversary, under the influence...and now he did not know what to think about anymore. He held onto his dream which he vowed to make a reality. He had long ago thrown away his childhood because of this man beside him, cast aside his innocence and trust - and now his "innocence" was taken away from within his body once again by the same man.

 _Itachi didn't want to. He was also made to do this...he's not entirely to blame..._

 _But I still hate him._

And now their tormentors had their fun, so what was next? What did he just hear now? They were free to go. Sasuke knew there was a catch. Standing up, still slightly away from his brother whom he kept his back to. "What are you talking about, we are free to go?" he spat to the shadows.

 _"Yes. You and your brother are allowed to leave. No harm will come to you."_

"So, then," he said icily, clenching his fists, "you won't retaliate if I consider returning the gesture for this?" _I will never let this go - NEVER. If I must, and I don't care how all-powerful they are; they must have a weak spot like Orochimaru, so I can -_

"Sasuke...don't."

He rounded on his brother. "Don't you dare speak a word of this, Itachi!" he snarled, but the other Uchiha looked at him impassively with a hand raised - the hand that still held that accursed Akatsuki ring.

Itachi continued to speak to him, softly as if they were children again. "We are not strong enough to physically fight, little brother - much less each other. We have this one chance to leave."

Sasuke was tempted to curse at him in their native language, resisted the urge to roll his eyes - but deep down, he knew his brother was right. They would leave, but one day, he swore to get full strength and take down every last person in the group... _but due to their powerful nature with every existing_ ninjutsu, taijutsu _and the rest, I must break more of my own bones. And when that is done, every ounce of flesh for this pain and humiliation will be by my hands._

 _"Yes, Sasuke, do what your big brother says. You are no longer needed...but if you are plotting to hunt us down, do not bother. We never stay in one place too long to leave chakra trails. Our next encounter will be at a time of OUR choosing."_

It was then and there that the outlines of the Yokusuki made themselves known, and with another reason: they shoved forth another being, this one wearing an Akatsuki cloak and bearing the face of a shark. Sasuke recognized him as Itachi's partner, whose name he uttered with disgust. "Kisame." His brother did not seem fazed by the fact that he was naked in front of his partner and his own brother whom he had drug-induced sex with. "You couldn't have come at a more perfect timing," Itachi said sarcastically.

The shark man snorted and had the bold notion to look back at his partner. "Like I could do a damn thing about it, with what I saw. These guys intend to keep their word, don't they? You think I didn't want to leap in? You both know what they can do," he said matter-of-factly, before it was abruptly called off by Sasuke, who could take this no more. He had been humiliated enough.

"SHUT UP."

He and Itachi were then given their clothes back, and no further words were spoken, be it between themselves or to the Yokusuki, or even Kisame who patiently but awkwardly waited for them. Sasuke glared at the back of Itachi, fuming and wishing he could strike him here and now - but WHY? Yes, he was still lingering in the aftermaths of the aphrodisiac and his own brother, but he was impatient and ready to strike.

 _But look at Itachi. He's not ready to fight. And he's still your brother - NO!_

 _No, he's a murderer. He butchered our clan, my childhood, and now this..._

The trio was outside the mountains in time for the rain to thunder down on them, and the impact which struck Sasuke both inside and out was the worst feeling he ever had; his insides sank farther along with his emotions. With Kisame and Itachi watching, he collapsed to his knees, threw his head back, and screamed to the heavens.

~o~

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. The little fool... did he have to fall to his knees and cry his grief at this time? He shook his head, damp locks sticking to the back of his neck.

"Itachi," Kisame said, "what do we do now?"

In another time, it would have been a foolish question to ask, but right now, all Itachi could respond with was: "We move for now. Great leader Pain is sure to catch on and punish us both severely." _Indeed, I am in deep now for disobeying a direct order. Now I have another path to take, it seems - and he's kneeling in front of me._ He narrowed his eyes and reached down to take Sasuke by the back of his opened tunic and hauled him to a standing position. The rain had washed away much of the tears that Itachi knew were streaming the teenager's cheeks.

"Pull it together, Sasuke."

"Keep your blood-stained hands off of me!" He angrily shrugged off the charcoal-painted hands from his forearms, baring his teeth. "I should kill you now while we have the chance. I'll take the _both of you_ -" He turned his now-blazing Sharingan eyes on Kisame who chuckled and slung Samehada over his shoulder. "- if I must!"

"Is it my imagination, Itachi," the shark man said snidely, "or has your little brother's voice gotten smaller when he sees me?"

Itachi resisted a chuckle. "Hn," he said instead. "The best I can say is his voice is -"

Sasuke erupted, much to his own amusement. At the same time, the Chidori raged before his eyes. "SHUT THE HELL UP, ITACHI AND DIE!" But the elder anticipated the move which was not much different than that pitiful first time. Deftly, when Sasuke was close enough, Itachi grabbed that wrist and slammed it down to his side, cutting off the chakra and pulling his brother's body close to his. Sasuke struggled. "Let go!" Itachi rumbled in his throat, to the amusement of Kisame.

"Little brother, reckless as ever." He sniffed Sasuke's exposed shoulder, savoring the natural musk, and it was his own need to do so. Oh, he did smell the hatred - but why did it trouble him to know that it wasn't enough? He hummed again. "I smell the hate growing now, I shall congratulate you on that..." He furrowed his brows and pulled back, looking into Sasuke's driven gaze.

"...but why am I disappointed once more to know that it still does not sum to my expectations, hn?"

 **So, now this is where the adventure of the summary begins now that Sasuke and Itachi have been used. : & **


	7. Chapter 7

**This really has gone deep. Things have gone AU now, but that does not mean I am straying from what remains of the original canon. I'm doing the best I can to keep everything in character - with a few surprises in store, of course. ;)**

Chapter Seven

"SHUT THE HELL UP, ITACHI AND DIE!"

Little did he know it was a repeat of the mistake made when he went to find Naruto. The bastard had no idea how much he was suffering right now; he wasn't going to walk away right now just like this! He collapsed to the earth and released the tension to the heavens, cursing all the misfortune, blood and tears spilled...and then his dear brother had the nerve to take him to stand on his feet, had to force him to pull himself together.

 _YOU DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO, ITACHI!_

He would have struck him down had he not let his anger get the best of him; that was a grave mistake on all Shinobi, including Naruto. When his wrist was caught, he half expected it to be broken like that day, when Itachi slammed him against the wall and hissed about his lack of hate, but then -

 _Good gods, his body against mine._

He tried to pull away, but Itachi shamelessly held him close. He refused to look at his new captor in the eyes as he leaned in and boldly inhaled the aroma of Sasuke's skin. Shivers awoke within his nerves at the sensations; he almost actually _melted_ into the contact, but reality held his defenses up where they should be. The enemy broke down his barriers when they put him vulnerable in the circle with this man whom he shared flesh and blood with. "Let me go!" he ordered, but all the elder did was laugh in amusement. Was Itachi _enjoying_ this now? If he was, then he was sicker than he was. Itachi's lips remained in close contact with his bared shoulder, murmuring to him now. Kisame must be enjoying the show, as well.

Itachi just couldn't get enough of this, could he? "Little brother," he said frostily, the slash of a sword in his voice, "reckless as ever." Sasuke couldn't help but shudder again when his brother hummed against his flesh. "I smell the hate growing now, I shall congratulate you on that...but why am I disappointed once more to know that it still does not sum to my expectations, hn?" _You really want to know, don't you, bastard?_

The Chidori had been rendered paralyzed in the elder's grasp. "If you don't let me go right now," Sasuke growled, "the stream will take us both right here, right now."

"That will prove to be exciting, _otouto."_

Kisame cleared his throat. "Ahem, if you don't mind, may we get a move on, Itachi?" he asked.

Sasuke growled over his shoulder at the shark man, whilst his brother hummed. "Yes, the great leader is sure to catch onto us sooner or later. Come, Sasuke." That was the last thing he was aware of before there was a sharp pain to the back of his neck, and he blacked out. The last thing he was aware of was that he fell forward into his older brother's arms, before darkness claimed him once more.

But when he awoke, he found himself bound tightly with rope, unable to escape, and his back up against a tree. Outraged and knowing who was responsible, Sasuke screamed out, uncaring if anyone else was in the vicinity at the moment.

"ITACHI!"

~o~

It was by the time the day ended when they were more than enough of a safe distance away from the Hidden Rain Village. That was when Sasuke was still clogged out by Itachi's own hand, but he had to do something soon before his _otouto_ roused from unconsciousness. Kisame was unable to contain his snickers as they leaped through the rain together and into the wilderness surrounding the village.

Pitching camp was what the trio did. Well, Itachi took the liberties now as he had let Kisame do so much lately; he owed his partner that much for his share. Kisame was about to embark on his little hunting trip to the river that had to be close by; were there EVER any slim to none chances of a river wherever they would go, or anyone else in the nation?

"You really are in as deep as you can sink, Itachi," Kisame told him, shaking his head. "What are you going to do now with your kid brother?" He nodded to Sasuke in the distance, the younger's back facing them as he was bound by the special rope given to him by Madara.

Itachi hummed, already knowing long before his partner asked. "Well, I cannot take him back to Konoha; he abandoned his comrades and therefore is a traitor as I was labeled," he said, feeling himself crack internally. "Therefore, I am all he has left, Kisame."

"And yourself - you might as well be punished once the great leader finds out...if he hasn't already. But since he might as well, if you don't want to face certain death, you might tail away with Sasuke out of here," Kisame stated, baring his teeth.

The Uchiha nodded, swallowing, his Adam's apple bobbing. _Yes, I did disobey Pain - but Madara will hold him back from killing. Only I cannot return, and I do not wish Sasuke to be anywhere near that man. But the fatalities of the Mangekyo, should I be forced to murder my own brother for obtaining the eternal light..._

A sudden howl of rage snapped their attentions. "ITACHI!" He chuckled; Sasuke had come back to. He looked forward to just toying with his bound little brother for the time being - just for now. Suddenly, his stomach churned. He looked down at himself and frowned.

 _Is it happening too soon...?_

"Itachi...maybe you should take care of him before he screams his racket to attract attention."

Hn, not a bad idea. Itachi stood and dusted himself off before walking over to his bound little _otouto._ "Awake at last, baby brother." He smirked down at the ferocious glare of the Sharingan eyes which he knew damned well were nowhere near his own. _Because he dared to not kill his best friend like I said. I have so many questions to ask him now._

"Untie me at once!"

"And what will you do? Strangle me in my sleep? I want you to tell me..." Itachi knelt before him, keeping his eyes on Sasuke's. "...how much you can see with those Sharingan of yours."

Sasuke hissed and spat at him. "How much can I see?" he sneered. "What I see right now, _Itachi_ -" He drawled the name, making the elder lean back impassively. "- is you dead at my feet." He thrashed once before calmly leaning back against the tree.

 _So predictable, Sasuke. As expected._ He closed his eyes momentarily. "You see me dead, huh? Well, perhaps I should untie you after all...but not right now," he said, reopening his eyes and smirking again. "You may kill me, but not today."

His brother lashed out again with his words. "If you don't let me out, the Tsukuyomi won't be a match for my Sharingan!" he shouted, drawing an amused chuckle from the elder Uchiha.

"You'd be wasting your time, little brother. Clearly you still do not possess the same eyes as I do. And you did not follow my advice and kill your best friend." Itachi narrowed his eyes. "And you DARE to hunt me down with such weak resolve."

 _One day when you possess the same eyes, after you murdered your best friend like I did...come and face me._

It was Sasuke's turn to narrow his eyes. "Well, why don't you test your capabilities against mine and see how stronger I've gotten, big brother?" he challenged. Itachi could never get over sighing at such confidence. He reached over and pushed a straying ebony lock from Sasuke's face; the younger retaliated by attempting to bite Itachi's finger, but the elder anticipated. Sniffing, he rested his hand in his lap.

"Sasuke, we can argue all day, we can challenge to our long-awaited fight all day, but we have more pressing matters. Right now, you are to do exactly what I say for the time being."

"What are you playing at now, bastard?"

"Nothing important. But I know you have a lot of questions to ask me - and whatever it was, it won't be the last thing that I'll hear what you have to say."

Sasuke leaned forward once then. "Then let me try this one: who was the third person with the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

~o~

 _"In the Great Hall of Naka Shrine, under the seventh_ tatami _mat from the far right, there is a secret gathering place of the Uchiha clan. Within it is a stoned monument which carries every secret of the clan."_

He did as his brother instructed, read all about the Mangekyo Sharingan - and it did more than tame the Nine-Tailed Fox all those years ago. The troubles of the Shrine Pass Technique had been worth it with his young experience at the time, seals removed and everything revealed to his eyes alone. If he wanted to defeat Itachi one day for his crimes, then this was the first step. And unlocking the past wasn't entirely it, and Itachi wasn't the only one on his mind...

 _There was one other with the Mangekyo._

And Itachi still insisted on toying with him more. "The...third person?" he drawled lightly.

"You said there was another, that night," Sasuke answered. "You couldn't have massacred our clan and the entire Leaf Village Police Force alone." _Even with that many people to slaughter with the Uchiha blade, he would have been discovered quickly, unless he had help..._

"Ah, you figured it out." There was that smile again. But he was still dancing around the question, damn it!

And curse Kisame for interrupting. "Having fun?" he asked with a chuckle. "I'm about to catch us some fish for the night and the next few days to come on foot, boys."

Sasuke closed his eyes and slumped forward. It appeared his score to settle with his brother - whose body he remembered too well recently along with his lifelong hatred, making him so angry and confused at once - would have to be painfully delayed because of the presence of the shark man. _Can this get any worse?! DAMN IT ALL!_

 **What better than to have the brothers banter similarly to the original anime/manga? (though I never read the actual manga, and therefore forgot the chapter number for their battle) And what better to aid the brothers than having Kisame rather than simply having him go off to what he did best? After all, he HAS been with the brothers thus far. :D**

 **I may have forgotten from watching, but I did pick this up in my research I've done recently on the Naka Shrine: "In order to access the main hall, a Naka Shrine Pass Technique, sequence of seals, is required to remove the stone that lays atop the entrance way. The seal itself has the Sharingan in the middle and is encircled with seal formulas." Assuming little Sasuke DID do that; please correct me if I am wrong. Last thing I wanted was inaccuracy.**

 **And Happy New Year. :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Let's hope the new year gets better, right? Meanwhile, new chapter. :D Things really take off and start to change the texture.**

Chapter Eight

 _This really is going to be fun,_ Kisame thought gleefully to Samehada as they abandoned the Uchiha brothers for the time being and made their way to the river for some trout or salmon, or whatever fish would suffice. No magically conjuring up a certain large species; you had to make do with what was available.

Maybe a dive-in to give them some more time alone was out of the question? Yeah, yeah, he supposed no time for languishing. On second thought, would the brothers...

Kisame shook his head when he slid off his sandals and then stepped into the refreshing, mildly roaring water exhilarated. He almost yelled with excitement. "Let's catch some small fries - or bigger fish to fry over the pit!" he shouted over the incoming currents. "Time to get a second catch in a few days, Samehada!"

Fishing was a good sport for him, and it was fun and breaking out a good sweat, to say the least. _Luck on our side; we got trout. How lucky can we get, eh?_ Ten of them caught, enough to last a couple days, and Kisame was hauling the last of it when Samehada convulsed out of the blue. He frowned, furrowing his brows. "What is it, my friend?" Another lash, and his brain lit up.

"Oh, we got company, eh? At one o'clock..."

~o~

Sasuke watched as Itachi shrugged off his cloak and laid it down on the ground before him, crossing his legs. His side faced his bound brother if his full-front was still viewed. _Son of a bitch. So calm and collected, never giving a damn. No wonder he was loved best; he controls himself better than me._

"Are you going to answer my question?" he spat, never mind that his brother was closing his eyes with the pitiful attempt to block him out in mediation. He really was riling his nerves off more. "WHO IS THE THIRD PERSON?!" _And whoever that third Sharingan user is, I'll murder him after you..._

"Madara Uchiha."

His eyes bulged. His whole body stiffened against the tree. It was as if his chakra left him and replaced his very being with a frozen corpse. _Madara...Uchiha..._ that name, the time he was within Naruto's world with the Kyuubi...

 _ **"That vision, and a chakra more ominous than my own...you are the spitting image of Madara Uchiha from the elder days..."**_

 _One of the founders of the Hidden Leaf Village - the man who first awoke the Mangekyo Sharingan - but he is supposed to be...!_ "No," Sasuke said tightly, "he's supposed to be long dead by now." If this was another of Itachi's tricks -! His train of thought was cut off by the elder's bemused snort.

"No, _otouto._ He is very much alive, but you don't have to believe me for the time being."

Sasuke growled and clenched his fists behind his back. "Itachi, you son of a bitch, you've toyed with me long enough. First I find you at our clan's resting place - the gall and the abominable nerve to offend our family's honor -"

Itachi growled now, calm dropped. Now a verbal match was breaking out. "Oh, Sasuke, you know that our family needs the honor to be placed with incense and prayer. Where were _you_ when I often paid my respects, hm? Off whoring yourself to the Snake Sannin, am I correct?" His eyes adverted to Sasuke's exposed left shoulder where the Curse Mark reacted violently along with his body tremors. He...he called him...!

"ITACHI, I AM NO WHORE! I NEVER LET THAT OLD PERVERT TAKE ME TO -!"

The hand with the ring raised itself, stopping him without a word before its owner suavely reverted back to his old self, slyly smirking to one corner of his mouth. "Relax, little brother. That was full confirmation that Orochimaru hadn't touched what belongs to me now." The forefinger of that hand reached out and briefly flicked over his mark, making Sasuke snarl and jerk backwards so his back touched the tree trunk once more. Then Itachi's face twisted. "But as I was saying, Orochimaru didn't give you what you wanted, did he?"

 _Baka, he taught me enough!_ "Oh, yes, more than you think!" Sasuke replied confidently, raising his shoulders and rolling them back once. The aftermath of Itachi's touch on his shoulder remained as a tingle, pleasantly and not so combined. "More power than you could have imagined...but now I am stuck with you _like this!_ " he shouted.

"Whether you like it or not, _otouto_. You won't be unbound unless I say so." His smirk stretched to both sides of his mouth.

Sasuke slumped forward now, resigned and bitter. _Guess I'll have to deal with it - for now. But when these ropes are gone, Chidori to his ass when he is not looking._ The thought alone made him smirk which faded as soon as he sparked Itachi's Sharingan. "Foolish little Sasuke, if you don't think I can't see you are plotting when I free you, you only increase the chances of never walking free."

"Like you walked free that night, abandoning me to fend for myself, fostered my hate for you?" Sasuke sneered. "And years later, I find you over the graves of the ones you and your 'associate' -" _If he claims to be Madara Uchiha._ "- butchered." He glared ferociously, catching the closing eyes once again along with another sigh to follow.

"It goes beyond that..."

"I'm sure," Sasuke said sarcastically, but Itachi was unaffected as ever.

"I'm not fooling around with you this time, Sasuke, but it's true that Madara Uchiha, our ancestor, is still alive. He's the one who helped me take down our own people and family, but alas, there is more than I am telling you."

~o~

 _Maybe I shouldn't delay this anymore. I owe him the complete story. I've protected him all his life, but it's time to stop running and let aspects of the truth have its day. One at a time. But I also can't let Madara see him..._

Unfortunately, they were both interrupted once more. "Itachi!" He suppressed the legendary eye roll, but not Sasuke, when the shark-faced man returned, loaded with catch on one shoulder and Samehada on the other, worn to his bones. "Sorry to break it up again - but we got company."

"You have the 'perfect timing', Fish-Face," Sasuke sneered, but he was wondering who could be on their way as much as big brother was. However, he had the slightest idea...

Kisame grunted and dropped their survival before the brothers. "Yeah, we got a couple of our own -" _Akatsuki...I wonder who it could be. Zetsu, Deidara..."Tobi"..._ That last one made him close his fingers into fists. "- as well as some Leaf Village Shinobi on our tails - specifically Sasuke's," he finished with a devilish gleam to the bound younger Uchiha who hissed through his teeth.

"Naruto."

Itachi knew better than to expect a happy reunion between the former friends and teammates, but one thing always piqued his curiosity since the first and last time he encountered the Nine-Tails vessel. _What drives the boy to be so fixated on my baby brother? I feel I must know. Assumptions will do no good. Hmm, perhaps a shadow clone is in order rather than myself...yes, no fighting, and I'll make sure of it._

"I suggest we get a move on, then," Itachi said musingly, finally looking at Sasuke and standing. He picked up his cloak and pulled it over himself, never breaking eye contact. What could they do now with Sasuke bound up? He wouldn't kill him now, or try to, with others coming their way.

He knelt down before his brother. "Sasuke, I'm releasing you - but you are not to fight."

"NOT TO FIGHT?!" Sasuke growled and rubbed his arms when the ropes fell. "Stand by and let you do all the work so you can call me WEAK?"

"I don't have time now to explain everything," Itachi answered calmly, "but I abandoned the Akatsuki when I was given the order by our great leader to not retrieve you. I disobeyed because you are still my brother, and no matter how much I want you to hate me - and no matter how much you do now - I swore from the day you were born that I would always be by your side. The Yokusuki asked if I valued your life enough to save you; I went after you because your life is more valuable to me than anyone and anything else." His stomach twisted into a knot when he looked down into onyx eyes glazing with a range of hateful and confused emotions. Sasuke was struggling.

The silence was broken by one word from his lips, and it was the only word Itachi ever wanted to hear for the moment.

" _Aniki_..."

Itachi had to lean in and kiss his _otouto_ 's forehead. "Get going now. I'll find you wherever you go, Sasuke." He then left his brother where he was and turned to join Kisame who had his tight smirk in place, teeth bared, at the sight of the two brothers. "Don't get ideas," Itachi warned his partner. "It's nothing beyond what transpired in the mountains." Only his lightly moving stomach seemed to disagree with him, among other parts of his body. Should he go far enough to say how forbidden this was, but so...?

 _I love him. I love my brother...but like THIS?_

He and Kisame were within the forest in no time, before they bade each other luck and parted ways. Itachi knew it was his duty to deal with the Akatsuki, his former association, all to protect his baby brother.

He landed on a tree branch, crouching for a moment before standing and placing himself behind the trunk, spotting the incoming lifeform from miles away. The chakra was strong in this one, consisting of two forms: one of the average Shinobi, the other an ominous presence. _Naruto._

Itachi made the sign before himself. "Shadow Clone Jutsu," he breathed, and within moments, a copy of himself was scouting the ground below.

The little brat was hidden behind one of the trees; he was no fool. "Come on out...Naruto Uzumaki," he said coldly, his clone speaking through. The Kyuubi child hesitated, as if torn between remaining in hiding and thereby forcing the Uchiha to force him out, but in the end, the boy stepped out before his line of vision. Itachi was impressed with how much Sasuke's friend had grown in the past few years - but did his hyperactive immaturity improve in the slightest?

"Itachi," the blond boy answered. "What are you doing here? My friends are taking care of yours - that stinking shark guy. You guys came for me again, didn't you?"

Itachi didn't blink. "No," he said simply, "I'm merely here to warn you."

Even that got the boy off-guard a little; he blinked once in return. "Warn me? What are you talking about?" he questioned, dumbfounded, making Itachi sigh now.

"Don't go after Sasuke. You will only bring him more pain than I have."

Naruto took one step forward, teeth bared. "More pain than YOU? You monster, he belongs with us, not out here - not with Orochimaru - and certainly not _you_!" he shouted.

Itachi clenched his fists. _He's right, Sasuke never belonged to Orochimaru, the snake...the fragile old serpent who jumped from body to body...and he chose it all. He chose to abandon his friends and close connections. He chose the path that I had no choice but to - but I did it all for him. He did this in the name of vengeance. That makes him..._ "What proof do you have of this?" Itachi asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you so obsessed with my brother, hn? He's nothing more than a missing-nin as I am."

He never expected the blond's bold words.

"That's because...even though we are not blood-related, Itachi," Naruto snarled, "I've been more of a brother than you _ever_ were to him!"

For the first time, he allowed a smile to show on his face. And this provoked the other into charging towards him, not caring about the Sharingan or _genjutsu_ waiting for him. He just wanted to take his rage out on the much more powerful Uchiha - who already had the latter trump card up his sleeve when he lifted his cloak to release the crows.

"Foolish Naruto...you are already in my _genjutsu_. Once more, I merely wish to speak with you, and what better place than within my world?" Itachi asked slyly. The vicious orange color around them reminded him too much of the Yokusuki, and a small part of him considered telling Naruto about them, but that would only damage things further for both himself and Sasuke.

"You wish to bring Sasuke back." He stated the obvious, and the knowledge alone made him angry. No one could take his little brother away from him now that he'd only just gotten him back, so there had to be another way to get through this child's thick skull. "If it didn't go the way you intended, what would you do instead?"

Of course, Naruto Uzumaki would do whatever it took to bring Sasuke back to the Hidden Leaf Village, but was it enough? "Even by force?" Itachi continued. Even if his little brother did return, then very well, he would not keep Sasuke forever - though he wished he could - but what about the opposite if he chose to remain with _him? Me, his brother...his_ aniki...

"You said you viewed Sasuke as a brother, didn't you?" Itachi taunted, training his eyes on the fired up youth. Sasuke was more than capable now if he had to leave Konoha, and that begged one question: "What were you to do, Naruto, if he were to _attack_ the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"SASUKE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!"

"Ah, but Sasuke is still impressionable." He smiled to himself. Yes, his _otouto_ would never listen to reason unless he was pushed with the right amount of pressure...and there was one man who could do that to him. "So, if it _were_ to happen, would you stop him - even KILL him?" _If I were in this child's place, I would do exactly that._

It seemed he struck a sensitive spot in Naruto, whose bright blue eyes bulged with the horror of the image in his mind. "Would you choose Sasuke over the very village you love?" From within, his heart cracked with the memory of his own choice made by another - or should he say _others?_

 _I had to choose duty and the village over my treasured baby brother. If Naruto had the chance, he would be forced to make that decision._ He sighed when the boy continued to dream on, voice that dream, in which he would protect both Sasuke AND the Leaf Village. Itachi shook his head.

"You're such a child. All you speak of is mere fantasy which will one day vanish upon waking up to reality. As a Shinobi, you will be faced with making the most difficult decisions that shatter your heart beyond repair."

"Another told me the same thing once before, but it's not like I care. I won't have another choice even if they force me to make it! I never go back on my word," Naruto declared hotly, "because that is MY NINJA WAY!"

Something along the lines of pride might have wormed its way into Itachi. _His Ninja Way...a Shinobi never goes back on his word..._

Perhaps he could give this boy some ounce of respect for his guts and admiration - even if he was a little fool like his brother was. "I shall give you something as a token of my respect," Itachi said, and allowed a crow to fly its way into Naruto's mouth, shoving its way down his throat. "Some of my powers...perhaps one day you won't need them when the time comes..."

 **Aside from going AU, I also wanted to do my best to stay true to the original canon. Not sure if I did say that before, but if I did, then my apologies. XD Stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yesterday I got a guest asking me where "Sakura, the true love of Sasuke and future wife" is, and that Itachi does not love his brother the way depicted in here. Just to be clear: yes, I am well aware of that realistically, and Crispin Freeman (voice of Itachi) made that clear himself, but a fangirl can still fantasize. As for Sakura and Sasuke, I completely worship them. And if I had inspiration, I'd do a fic for them, too, but for now the attention is on the brothers.**

Chapter Nine

Growling, he gathered the fish that Fish-Face - oh, yes, that's a lovely nickname he was proud to name Kisame - snagged from the river for all three of them. So, what was he now? Was he their little servant boy, carrying their luggage?

 _First I was forced to have sex with my brother. Next, I was knocked out and wake up tied to a tree. And now I am the one to carry the food for the next move. What else is next?_

By the time he was done tying the load together with net, Sasuke growled again and allowed himself to collapse on top, his flesh breaking out into sweat beat under the sun. He had to get a move on; there couldn't be many dead spots around here. Itachi wasn't far away, and neither was Kisame, and they certainly kept their "company" busy. He snorted and picked himself up. His tunic had come down on the sides to expose his muscled skin to the sun; now he stood and pulled the fabric back over the shoulders.

His sword on his back, the catch net in his arms, Sasuke began to set a course forward in the opposite direction from where his brother and the shark man went.

However, even though the goal was clear, simple as it was, everything else in his mind and heart was not so crystalline anymore. He growled, almost roared, in absolute frustration for this. Once more: _Just when things can't get any worse._

 _"I abandoned the Akatsuki when I was given the order by our great leader to not retrieve you. I disobeyed because you are still my brother, and no matter how much I want you to hate me - and no matter how much you do now - I swore from the day you were born that I would always be by your side."_

Itachi was finished with the Akatsuki, so Sasuke would accept that - but that did not excuse everything to follow. The confusion enflamed his anger and hate...but it also brought back the memories he had of himself and his brother when they were children. He squeezed his eyes closed, senses remaining on high alert.

 _"The Yokusuki asked if I valued your life enough to save you; I went after you because your life is more valuable to me than anyone and anything else."_

Sasuke's heart thumped once, then twice before going at a rapid rate. _Itachi..._

"SASUKE?!"

He jolted and halted his trip, landing gracefully on the ground. He whirled around and scowled at the sight of the man he knew was Akatsuki because of the cloak which made his appearance out of nowhere. He narrowed his eyes; the man's face was covered by a mask swirling malevolently with orange, a single dark hole for an eye to see him... "Who are you?" Sasuke demanded. One member shouldn't be much of a threat to worry about...

"Oh, ahem, I'm sorry - you are Sasuke, correct?" the masked man said timidly, though his steps were confident. "You really DO look like him...Itachi..."

"Tobi!" another voice shouted from behind them. Sasuke looked past the guy, Tobi - whom he gathered was more childlike in nature than the other Akatsuki he encountered - who also whirled and spotted _Itachi_ returning along with another man in the same garb. However, his blond hair was in a wild ponytail, and if his accent wasn't distinguished, Sasuke would have mistaken him for a woman which made him laugh. "How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?" Then his attention was on Sasuke, the insolent smirk growing. The younger Uchiha got the greater feeling he'd be worse than this one here.

"Nice to meet you, Sasuke. I'm Deidara, and as you heard, this is Tobi."

~o~

He left Naruto crumpled to the earth, still reeling from the effects of the _genjutsu_ , while he regarded the little brat with narrowed eyes along with his secret smile. _You have a part of my powers inside you now, perhaps if you do keep those foolish hopes alive and retrieve my brother...but as long as I am still alive, I'll ensure Sasuke's safety and his heart remains intact. Hardened as it is, as mine is._

 _But you dare to challenge my love for him as his brother._

"Until we meet again, Naruto," Itachi's clone said softly through himself, "but you should remember one thing. You are wrong when you say I was never the best brother Sasuke had. Yes, you were the one to give him hope when I took it from him...but it was I who swore to guard him with my life, held him in my arms when I made that vow, the day he was born from our mother's womb. Blood runs far thicker than water."

The boy didn't speak anymore; he was in too much shock to do so, and that satisfied the Uchiha enough. With that, he allowed his shadow clone to disperse and then turned to return in the opposite direction to pick up his brother's trail.

He didn't get very far when he realized he wasn't alone, and it certainly was not Kisame.

 _That chakra..._ There were no polite words to describe the nuisance that had tailed him. "Why don't you just come out like a real man, _Deidara_?" Itachi snarled, narrowing his Sharingan eyes.

The man himself stepped out before his eyes. The blond Akatsuki smirked ear to ear. "Happy to see me, eh, Itachi?" Deidara said sarcastically. "Pain really has it out for you, but hasn't lifted a finger just yet. Guess he's waiting for the right time, un. So -" He reached up to scratch the back of his head. "- ya got your brother back?" He looked around, not seeing Sasuke anywhere.

"Leave my brother out of this."

"Or what? You gonna defend him like the wimp he is? You know he ain't gonna match up to you. He's nothing like you - but then again, the Uchiha aren't as almighty as they claim to be." _Oh, but you were beaten in my_ genjutsu _from the moment Kisame and I walked through your door. Your foolish boasts won't change the truth._

Itachi bore down on the other man fiercely. "I haven't the time or patience to speak down upon my foolish little brother like this. I have done my part with the Akatsuki, for the death of me, because it was a worthy sacrifice for someone far more important," he said bravely, relishing the obvious mortification in the other's eyes, "and because I have to return to Sasuke before I lose him again. You will never be one to agree with me, Deidara, but if you could only do me this one little favor..."

Deidara took a moment to think this over before sighing sharply. "Alright, fine, Itachi. But only on one condition." He held up one finger, eyes glittering. "I wanna have Pain-sama watch me when I kill you."

"That's all I need to know." Itachi smirked. _But that day will never come._

And so they arrived at the scene, near the edge of the valley, but the sight given to the men sent Itachi over the edge. _You bastard son of a bitch._

"You really DO look like him...Itachi..."

This was the only time he would thank the bird artist for the interruption, but Sasuke was not at all pleased to meet him. "Why are they here, Itachi?" he spat to the elder, reaching for his katana behind his back.

"Sasuke, no need for violence - not anymore today, at least," he said calmly, when his little brother had no chance for it. "They are going to help ensure that we are protected as far as we can go, for however long necessary." From the corner of his eyes, the blond rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Tobi", however, took a few steps back and quivered a little at the impending trouble. "Kisame is going with me," he told Deidara.

"No problem of mine," the blond replied nonchalantly. "Where he goes, you go, un. And as for you -" He winked at Sasuke who glared at him stoically. "- it was nice meeting you. Maybe next time we have a longer chat if the opportunity comes?"

Sasuke snorted. "Don't get your hopes up."

 _Just what I was thinking._ It wasn't long before Kisame made his appearance. His surrounding smoking transportation vanished as if it was never there. He grinned at the brothers before it faded at the sight of the arrogant, annoying artist and the masked man. "Oh, just what we needed. But I bet it's all settled?" he asked, taking his place beside Sasuke who ignored him.

"Yes, Kisame. I trust you had your fun?" Itachi asked, already knowing. The shark's teeth gleamed.

"No one was hurt that bad, but yeah, I held them all off for you. But how about we do what we plan now and tail out of here?" he asked when he found himself looking at the masked man known as "Tobi", who made him reel inside as much as Itachi was doing now. He wanted nothing more than to just haul Sasuke, his partner and himself out of here fast enough to find a nearby village to lay low.

~o~

 _When night falls...the stars blanket the sky..._

They pitched for the night within the forest. According to the Sharingan, the next village was in a couple days' reach. Now Sasuke found himself free of any physical bonds. Kisame had his own space for the night - across the fire, if you could call that personal - and left Sasuke therefore with his brother beside him. Itachi lay beside him, looking up at the sky with him at arm's length. It reminded him of yet another time from when they were children. So many memories:

Thunderstorms when young Sasuke would panic and run instead to his brother when his parents said he was too old to be afraid of the raging storms... _my_ aniki _would hold me close to him until I fall asleep..._

Shuriken practice and everything that his perfect older brother promised to teach him so many times when little Sasuke wanted only to be disappointed... _big brother making a promise he can't keep..._

Taking a bath together from the time Sasuke was a toddler only to end just shortly before the brutal night that changed their lives...aniki _protecting me only to rip it all away from me..._

And right now, they were laying beneath the stars like they would when their parents, or their father often for that matter, were away, and then Itachi joined ANBU as its youngest captain ever... _counting the stars and seeing how close they were, eternally so and never going out except when the sun would rise to the balance..._

He felt his mouth tighten in a scowl, his brows forming a straight line. "The past is the past," he hissed aloud, getting Itachi's attention at once. Whether he meant to or not was beyond his caring.

"We won't be able to change the past, little brother, but we will shift the future in another direction."

"Some words to throw at me, and speak for yourself," Sasuke said frostily, turning his stoned face to the elder. "You were the one who started it all...or should I say 'Madara'?" He still refused to believe their ancestor and a founder of the Leaf Village was still alive after all this time, and Itachi had been telling him parts only to be interrupted each time. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to ask him tonight since Kisame was passed out across the fire from them, but he was so tired he felt sleep calling for him. His eyelids began to droop like lead. "You owe me the rest," he mumbled, finally closing his eyes in defeat.

Itachi sighed. "In the morning, _otouto_. I promise you. But for now...go to sleep." The feeling of strong arms and a warm, well-muscled body - the Akatsuki cloak removed to be draped over them both - coming up to spoon with his, promising protection. For a moment, Sasuke retaliated with a slight jerk in his brother's embrace before reminding himself this wasn't like...that...

 _They will pay someday soon. For now, sleep in the arms of my_ aniki...

Before he succumbed to slumber, he was quite aware of Itachi slipping a hand between their bodies and placing his _otouto_ 's hand against his firm abdomen.

~o~

"It is done, Itachi."

 _The aphrodisiac drug was taking its toll on his senses, but he was still alert and aware whilst his little brother - or is it_ lover _now? It was so sinful, amoral, what they had done, but his body disagreed with him - had ultimately fallen into a deep sleep, but Itachi's tolerance level would follow. It seemed they wanted him to remain awake for awhile longer to tell him the next step._

It's far from over...this is it.

 _"What now?" he asked tiredly, rolling onto his back and staring up at the shadowed shapes in the light cast over his and Sasuke's nude bodies in the circle. His brother's back faced him, having turned away in his sleep. A black hand came to rest over Itachi's bare six-pack, rubbing a small circle in the center of his stomach. He swallowed at the sensation brought on._

"You are carrying it now, Itachi - the seed created between yourself and your brother. You will not have a month or two to develop, for it has already begun. It will be less than a year before you are both needed once again."

 _He closed his eyes when the probing fingers left his abdomen, leaving a sink in the pit. His own hand came to rest itself on that place, followed by the other. The insides of his legs throbbed with the drying combination of blood and semen, both his and his baby brother; his heart thumped with the knowledge that he and Sasuke conceived..._

~o~

Dawn broke on Itachi's face, warming him but alerting him to the coming of the time he knew he would have to tell Sasuke about this. The dream was a memory that returned to him as a reminder that he had to tell Sasuke eventually. Just like the Yokusuki said, he wasn't female, so it had begun without time to waste.

 _I'm going to have a child._

A child he conceived with Sasuke, his own younger brother. _A child spawned through incest. Committed against our wills..._

Itachi's hand came back to rest over his still-flat stomach, ultimately noticing that Sasuke's hand had somehow remained there during the night, letting him know that the connection wasn't broken. Itachi looked upon his brother's face, at the peaceful beauty which formed a long-lost innocence, blissfully unaware of what he was touching - or should the carrier say, what _rested_ beneath what the hand was touching? Sasuke's reaction would be far from pleased, far from amused, because what would he say?

 _He would say this child was born of sin. But he will remember that neither of us intended for it._ He lowered his eyes to the space between their bodies, his train of thought taking a new course altogether. _Perhaps there is a way to deal with this..._

Sasuke stirred, moaning lightly in his sleep, causing the elder brother to look back up and see drooping onyx eyes fluttering open and coming face to face with matching orbs. A lazy smile worked its way on Sasuke's handsome face. " _Aniki._ " In some ways, he was like the same innocent, carefree boy always following his big brother, which made Itachi melt inside.

It brought an unwanted tear to his eye which made his little brother frown. "Itachi?" He never expected this upon waking - least of all, ever expecting to see his seemingly cold-hearted, murderous brother shed a tear before his eyes. "What is it?" He sounded almost impatient when the elder Uchiha didn't answer, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Sasuke, I have something to tell you."

"About Madara." The name was spoken with pure venom, disbelief and disgust.

Itachi shook his head. "No, _otouto._ I will give the chance, but not right now. Sasuke..." He shifted to get in a more comfortable position while remaining laying on his side facing the other. His hand remained on Sasuke's, keeping it on his stomach where he carried the part of his brother and himself. "...I'm with child."

 **Having Itachi get pregnant was what I intended since I started this. For the last few weeks, I've read some Sasuke and Itachi mpreg stories, with each other or with them and others (the majority was Sasuke being the one to be the "mother", but this time I felt Itachi should be the one). "CRIMSON" by AllieSama was definitely the inspiration as you can see now; unfortunately, that awesome story was never finished. :( In it, Itachi had diabolical plans to restore the Uchiha clan, and in order to do this, he had to impregnate Sasuke because no one else was worthy to have an Uchiha heir; full-blooded did the trick. It was very twisted but worth a read.**

 **So now, Itachi - and all of us - anticipate Sasuke's reaction. Will he believe him or not? Let's find out...**


	10. Chapter 10

**After what I said about Sasuke and Sakura, I suddenly found my inspiration and just put up the first couple chapters, the fic called "The Beast's Flower". Anybody interested is more than welcome to check it out. :D**

Chapter Ten

"Sasuke...I'm with child."

He was at a loss; he was more than aware that his expression was that of mortified surprise. _Itachi...he was...is this happening?! Did I hear right, or am I still asleep and dreaming?_

But the pressure applied to the back of his hand against his older brother's flat, toned stomach was proof that he was wide awake. The ridged surface beneath the fabric didn't show anything yet, so Sasuke was on the verge of assuming this was all a sick joke. He wasn't a medical ninja, so he couldn't tell from this way, and if word got out at the nearest village they would soon make way for, then this was bound to end downhill. Looking into Itachi's eyes, he saw no trace of deception.

"H-how?" he uttered, pulling his hand back, Itachi's warmth lingering in his skin. _The Yokusuki,_ his mind whispered. _The potion they fed us...was it more than just...? Or was it a seal that I never knew about?_ His brother seemed to read his mind.

"The seal released upon us," Itachi said softly, monotoned, "it was designed to ensure that we would bear children from one another. When we were finished, and you lost consciousness, I was still awake for them to explain the details. Remember they said they would take the Sharingan by force if necessary? Their other means would be to force two individuals upon the other to bring forth children who would carry the bloodline. They happened to consider inbreds, full-blooded, with the greater capability to shoulder the legacy of the Mangekyo Sharingan."

He felt his stomach lurch. Quickly, he sat up and bowed his head, heaving heavily, breathing through his nose. _Kami...these sick bastards...they used us for their sick schemes, wanted us to be the vessels to bring forth full-blooded Sharingan users!_ He reached up and tugged at his hair out of frustration and pure loathing, disgusted with both himself and them - and at Itachi who was pregnant with his brother's child.

It was the thought alone that made Sasuke aware of their present situation. _The child is ours...we conceived it together._

Reality kicked back in as quickly as it had gone. "Itachi," he muttered, raising his head and looking ahead at the fire pit that had died during the night, "how can this be? We're males; we don't have what women do, so how is this even _possible_?" He wanted this to be a dream, but seeing the hard look on his brother's face told him it wasn't.

"I'm afraid it's possible." Itachi's hands were still on his stomach, like he was protecting it.

"What's possible, gentlemen?"

Kisame looked down at them both with a raised eyebrow, having gone off to scout before he came back for them. He'd heard, but how much? And then the realization dawned on the shark man's face. "Oh, don't tell me that those bastards were right all along..." He slapped his forehead in dismay.

Itachi sighed. "I'm afraid so, Kisame." He then looked at his younger brother again, but Sasuke couldn't bear to look at him. Just one more problem to add to his list of recent troubles: _what are we going to do now, now that a baby is coming into the picture?_

One thing was certain: this child was made as a part of the Yokusuki's twisted, depraved schemes which matched those of Orochimaru's. Worse: the child was conceived through drug-induced incest. Even more: it was with his own brother, the one he swore to kill in hate and revenge for the slaughter of their entire clan.

Now it seemed another person - actually, group - was on the revenge agenda. Right now, it seemed he couldn't kill Itachi no matter how much he wanted to. But that did NOT mean he was forgiving him for the pain he caused Sasuke.

 _But he's carrying my child now._

He found himself looking at both hands caressing his covered abdomen - and he WAS talking about Itachi doing that habit. He was having an equally hard time as much as the younger was. Neither of them wanted this, but look now...Sasuke found himself thinking maybe this could be an alternative for them both. They needed this child; they could expand the Uchiha clan like this.

But the biggest question of all was HOW they were even going to make this work.

~o~

Sasuke didn't say another word to him when they both made their way towards the river together that morning. Itachi knew why; he was having difficulty processing the fact that they were having a child together.

He found himself looking down at his flat stomach as he pulled his shirt over his head. Sighing, he watched Sasuke begin to undress, turning his back to face his brother. _The wrong time to look at him, especially after...but why can't I stop what I am feeling?_ The feeling in his stomach had to be more than just the newly formed baby; it fluttered and made him feel light. It had to be more than just the natural love he had for his baby brother while they were growing up.

Itachi looked down at the ground just as he was unbuttoning the front of his pants. _This is wrong, but why can't I help it?_

"Enjoying the sight, are you, Itachi?"

Sasuke didn't look at him when he spoke, standing tall and keeping his back - rather, halfway to him - to his brother. He'd seen him in their drug-induced haze, seeing scattered parts, only feeling, which was _wonderful,_ but this time was crystal clear before his eyes that the Sharingan imprinted in its resting state.

"I'm seeing what I didn't entirely glimpse back at the Yokusuki hideout, which the Sharingan didn't see. I see what a man my little brother has become," he answered smoothly, finishing undressing and tossing the last of his garments off to the side so he matched Sasuke.

He took in every inch of his _otouto_ , from the lean but defined muscles of his arms, down his back and his buttocks, thighs, and because of the angle Sasuke turned to regard him halfway, the elder glimpsed a tuft of the dark pubic hair between Sasuke's legs. He remembered before their lives fell apart - by his hand and Madara's - his little brother's structure was small and lightly plump, almost baby-like in appearance, devoid of pubes unlike his _aniki,_ but nevertheless... _beautiful. Then and now. Sasuke...my precious brother. Foolish and precious in one._ His heart began to pick up the pace the longer he continued to look at Sasuke - before his throat was cleared.

"Are we going to bathe, or are you going to spend all day staring at me?" Sasuke asked irritably, turning all the way around and sauntering towards the flowing body of water before them. Offering the view of his shapely, firm backside which made Itachi smirk and follow.

Once inside, he relished the cleansing cold on his flesh. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke had the brief glance at his own body but gave no indication on the outside how he felt - but the Sharingan saw that he was wrestling with the pleasing sight. _Hn, it seems I'm not completely wrong. Sasuke just won't admit it so easily._

However, a tiny part of his heart began to crack with knowing that Sasuke continued to hate him. But wasn't it Itachi who told him to, for his own good?

Another tear slid down his cheek, and he was aware of it. This time he wanted Sasuke to see. When the younger spotted, he went rigid in midst of splashing water over the front of his beautiful, well-toned body. "Itachi?"

He lowered his gaze to the water, glimpsing his face and the front of his own body. "Sasuke," he answered, choking now beyond his control, "I know you hate me for all of this, but I have yet to tell you the truth. I did everything to protect you...but now is a good time to tell you." _I must; it's gone on long enough. Sooner or later, Madara will catch on. I've run away long enough, and I see now that if Sasuke does kill me, he will become far worse than I have._ He turned his entire body to face Sasuke now, determined.

"I must tell you why I slaughtered our clan, little brother...why I wanted you to hate and kill me...why we must protect our child..." He put his hands back over his stomach once more, then stepped forward, surrounded by purity when inside both he and his _otouto_ were far from it.

The look in Sasuke's eyes was no longer hard with denial, but eager to welcome what he had waited to hear from his big brother. It was about time, and they would face what it was together now.

~o~

Finally, they arrived at a village. He was beyond relieved to finally rest, even though he didn't really want to. Though it seemed Itachi was the one more relieved than he was. Sasuke snorted; he was barely a week pregnant and was already suffering the symptoms of extreme fatigue. What else was next? The younger had little experience with pregnancy.

And it begged how to deal with it involving his older brother of all people. _And I'm the one who fathered it..._

Sasuke Uchiha sighed and bowed his head. A great responsibility was on his shoulders now. He couldn't go back to the Leaf Village, where he was labeled just like his brother, broke off his trust and bonds, so Itachi was all he had left. And Kisame who was grinning as always; he was their lapdog now, was he not?

Akatsuki uniforms on his brother's part as well as his partner's were discarded for now, stashed away just to not give away who they were. Hopefully no one knew about the Akatsuki here in these parts, but this village might be some distances away from the Hidden Rain Village; if anyone knew them, then they wouldn't dare to cross them. There was also enough money in their pouches to last a month at most; Sasuke knew that they had to find work in here. What choice was there?

"Staying in one place long enough," Kisame was saying to the brothers casually, but his face was far from it, "isn't going to be good for our agenda, boys. Our only option is to keep moving when we sense trouble approach, capiche?"

"Like you need to remind us, Fish-Face," Sasuke muttered.

Said Fish-Face chuckled. "Keep talking like that, you feisty little runt, and Samehada will have your chakra as the next main course."

 _Not if I get to that sword first._ He found himself looking over at his brother, one hand over his back while the other was still caressing his belly, causing him to roll his eyes. "Itachi, really, that baby isn't going anywhere."

Red eyes glared back. "It gives me immense pride, little brother," he said coolly, setting him off inside. "This is ours, remember? I never thought I would feel something like this."

 _Bastard, that child was conceived against our wills. I'm allowing it to live to expand our clan. How can we get married to females with our wanted statuses? This is only for the sake of rebuilding our clan, nothing more._ He did not say those words, and since Itachi saw it all in his eyes, he said nothing as well. But the deeper Sasuke looked, he caught one such emotion.

 _Pain._

When had Itachi become sensitive? _The building hormones. Who ever thought they would occur within a male?_

"Oh, Sasuke, you really hit a nerve," the shark man sneered, snickering, but he ignored him.

 _The pain in those eyes...just like when he told me about the "truth"..._

To learn it all that morning when Itachi told him he was pregnant with his brother's child hit him with a far greater impact than he remembered, or maybe he wasn't sure anymore which was worse than what anymore. _Our father led the clan in a plot to overthrow the Third Hokage and Village Elders -_ he didn't know what to believe anymore, or even FEEL. All these years of...

 _Anger..._

 _Rage..._

 _Hatred..._

Swearing to kill his brother for what he did, only to find out his duty had been to the village itself - _no, he's a murderer! He tried to kill me as he killed our family; he took away everything I LOVED! He doesn't deserve..._

 _But when WHY had Father conspired to do such a thing, enact a coup likely to throw the balance off, even though their numbers were about, the chances of winning fifty-fifty. Kami, I don't know anymore - and I still don't know how I can believe Itachi about Madara Uchiha._

And Itachi's story:

 _"He's an immortal man who is both my mentor and my comrade, Sasuke. He awoke the rare, special Mangekyo Sharingan. Long ago when he and his younger brother made themselves notorious for their fighting and visual prowess, awakening that power within by sacrificing those near and dear to them - but the more it is used, the quicker it seals and shuts off the light in your eyes forever. In other words: blindness. Madara himself endured the physical symptoms, confiding in his younger brother to help him, desperate for the light. He took both eyes from his brother and never again was at risk of the darkness he would have endured for the rest of his life._

 _"Not long after that did he begin his crusade to conquer one ninja clan after the other. He eventually allied himself with Hashirama Senju and his forest clan, the man himself later becoming the First Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. Although Madara Uchiha clashed with his ally and was banished; some time later, he established an organization in the shadows now known as the Akatsuki. He's been plotting something far greater ever since then..."_

Sasuke spited everything more than ever. But he pushed it all aside just to focus on getting himself, his brother and the shark a place to live. They found an inn in the village and allowed his pregnant brother to get them all in under aliases, but Sasuke didn't care what it was - for now - and wanted to just pass out, escape reality until it was just him and Itachi.

"Well, good thing that I got my own room across the hall, boys," Kisame said, bidding them both a good day before leaving them alone. Now Sasuke had the "peace and quiet" with his brother, but the air was far from peaceful when he found himself looking at the long-haired man who dropped his weapons and everything on the table and made way to sit at the windowsill, overlooking the land with a blank but content expression, both hands over his stomach which he never got tired of. Irritation forgotten, Sasuke realized it had been so long since he ever saw his big brother like this.

 _We're going to have a baby._

His body acted on its own, distancing his mind and rational thought altogether, and moved to stand behind Itachi who turned halfway and offered a slight, innocent smile. Onyx eyes met with his own, but no words were spoken. Suddenly, Sasuke found the urge to reach out and place his hand on Itachi's strong shoulder, and the other's came up to rest atop. Warmth coursed through their flesh and nerves, igniting the connection between them into something far greater than before.

But somehow, Sasuke was no longer afraid. For now.


	11. Chapter 11

**Been working on "The Beast's Flower"; I've been on fire with that one, and I never thought I'd find myself loving that pair as much. XD I mean, they DO really end up together in actual canon, but their relationship had been one-sided: she loved him so much but he saw her annoying; after all, it had been a fangirl crush so immense at that age, in the original show.**

Chapter Eleven

It seemed that despite telling Sasuke the complete truth, he didn't feel any improvement. Sasuke didn't speak to him after that, fighting internal explosions - was it for the baby's sake? - and keeping distance from his older brother. But while Itachi was used to it, the words uttered as soon as they settled into their room at the inn, Kisame getting his own, what his younger brother said hurt when he found himself touching his stomach again. It wasn't just habitual anymore.

 _"Itachi, really, that baby isn't going anywhere."_

 _No, Sasuke,_ our _baby isn't going anywhere - I'm the one carrying it, I'm alien to this, yet knowing I'm holding growing life makes me feel change coming, but that doesn't make you any more grateful, does it?_ He cast his sibling the angriest glower he could master before depositing his things on the table and going right for the window. Gazing out at the beautiful countryside didn't make him feel better.

Didn't Sasuke SEE this pain when he looked into his eyes when he spilled the beans about Madara and the truth that the slaughter of their clan had been an order by the Village Elders? Just to prevent the overthrow of the leadership as it was?

He left Sasuke alive only because he loved his brother more than their father. Their mother should have lived, but she'd found that he'd killed their father; Itachi had no choice. And when little Sasuke came, what else was there to do other than to tell him to hate him for this, to unlock the secrets of the powerful but fatal Mangekyo Sharingan - and then kill him in the end?

 _I should be dead, as penance and honorable, but look at us now..._

Sasuke was looking at him now; he saw this from the corner of his eyes, as he continued to gaze at their surroundings while caressing his abdomen, tracing the washboard abs beneath. In a few months, they would stretch because of this growing child. He remembered the time Mother was pregnant with Sasuke, even though he was only six at the time. What he recalled for sure was the sickness in the mornings and constant cravings, fatigue... _nine months of torture ahead of me._

It was no surprise when he felt his brother's hand on his shoulder. Maybe he was wrong; maybe this experience was finally getting through to Sasuke, but nevertheless, Itachi still had his guard up. Carefully, he turned to look up and smiled lightly when he saw the faint shine in the other's eyes. He brought his own hand up to lay atop Sasuke's.

"I thought you couldn't bear being around me."

"Who said I didn't?"

He felt his smile slip as he sighed, closing his eyes and adverted his unseeing glance to the floor. "I was trying to protect you, Sasuke."

His _otouto_ said nothing; what was there to say? There had been enough spoken, and whatever Sasuke was thinking, Itachi could do nothing to change it. Everything was entirely up to him now; Itachi had done enough in his life already. "Itachi...if we can expand our clan like this..." His hand slid if only by a hair, but otherwise remained on Itachi's shoulder. "...this means I myself can have a child if I want to." _With the released seal on them both._

Itachi swallowed and looked ahead now, past his brother's form to nothing in particular. "Yes, you're right, _otouto._ We can have as many children as we must..." He stopped himself there. But this wasn't going to be easy; they had to always be on the move, with the Akatsuki on their trail, the Yokusuki to deal with, and that blond Kyuubi who wouldn't stop until he had his friend and teammate back - no, it shouldn't end like this. "But for now, we must make do with this one." He looked down at his body. "We must protect this one from Madara and the Yokusuki."

He looked up to see Sasuke's eyes closed. He didn't want to believe about Madara Uchiha being alive all this time, that he'd been the one to found the Akatsuki, had Pain as his leading puppet, but no longer could Itachi trust the man who had been his mentor and took him in after they butchered the Uchiha clan together. He wanted Sasuke, and now with a baby full-blooded Uchiha coming into the picture, this was sure to spell hell for them both.

 _But someday we will stand up to him together._

"What do you suggest we do, _aniki?_ Continue to run and hide, then flee again when we get more company? I'll admit, I'll gladly hide away if I have to, but to always shadow...it's not a place for a child." He couldn't help but chuckle. What did Sasuke expect? He still had that sense of childlike belief that you could just restore the clan once you accomplished your goal.

"Becoming a responsible father now, are we, little brother?" Itachi asked smoothly, making eye contact. "I'm impressed...impressed and proud."

~o~

 _Impressed and proud..._

Did Itachi really mean it? One look into his brother's eyes told him the answer was yes.

But from then on, Sasuke felt more embroiled than ever within himself. Yet the more he began to think about the truth about his family, never meeting Madara Uchiha...but Itachi was making damned sure it would never happen. The elder was protecting him, standing beside him at all cost...and it seemed Sasuke was doing the same by helping provide for him and their unborn child.

 _We're going to be parents._

Somehow it hadn't been difficult to find temporary work in their first location. Sasuke answered the advertisement for the inn's tavern, not that it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He was made for sophistication, but he had to remind himself this was just to lay low and not draw up questions. Kisame and Itachi joined him for the hell of it, so it wasn't completely boring. At least it gave him comfortable familiarity instead of annoying fellow workers who nagged at him with questions.

Sasuke would glare at any young women who batted their lashes at him, but while it kept them at bay, they seemed to fire up their fantasies more than ever. And the attention on his brother? Don't get him started.

There was one time he caught a cute redhead with green eyes flirting with Itachi and offering to get him a drink after his shift was over, but he deadpanned and stated that he didn't drink. Unspoken was the fact he was with child - and that child also happened to be _Sasuke's_ , who was seething with protection that he stepped in for his brother and told the girl Itachi stated loud and clear he wasn't interested.

The girl stuck her tongue out and left then, after paying for her drink. That was a first, and it made Sasuke smirk with satisfaction. _Nothing but threatening to slip something in her drink did the trick._ As long as no one else heard that, of course.

"You didn't have to do that for me, Sasuke. I'm not a helpless damsel."

"You're my brother," the younger pointed out, then leaned in and breathed against his ear. No one looking would tell if it was intimate or not, but he made damned sure it wasn't too close to resemble such. "And you're pregnant with MY child."

To say the words aloud brought a flutter in his stomach. It was like the day Itachi had told him about this, about everything, but it wasn't out of fear and worry - any longer, for now. He looked down again at Itachi's abdomen, hidden by the clothes bought in one of the local shops. Taking this in as well as the loose tie of his hair back, some silken raven locks falling over one side of Itachi's face - if it weren't for the defined lines of premature aging beneath his eyes as well as his deep velvety accent, he might have been mistaken for a woman.

It was also that those obsidian eyes looked into his and spoke that message: _I could go back and change what happened if I wanted to...but I can't._

Sasuke knew Itachi had stopped trying to get him to believe him, no matter how hard he himself was trying to accept it. But as the weeks progressed - Itachi was now into his second month, not yet showing but displaying the symptoms - Sasuke found himself deeper and closer with his brother than he remembered when they were children.

Or maybe it was more than that...?

He shook his head when he found himself at the stove of their room. In one more month, they would be on the move again, but with Itachi's condition, it would be difficult to travel on foot with his constant vomiting in the mornings and constant stops for the bathroom. But maybe it would stop soon, Sasuke reasoned, but his brother's pregnancy wasn't what made him shake his head.

 _I can't love my brother like THAT. For Kami's sake, it's disgusting and incestuous - what happened was brought on by drugs and scheming, not by either choice of ours. Yes, I share a bed with him now - but it's like those nights I crawled in with him as a child during a thunderstorm, nothing else. He's pregnant, but if the truth gets out, this child between us won't be accepted. Which is why we must stick together at all costs. I refuse to let them out of my sights. I won't let the Yokusuki, Akatsuki or even Madara Uchiha - if I EVER see his face - take them away..._

There was also the fact that he started to see his _aniki_...NAKED more and more lately. Just before he was getting ready to bathe, then afterwards when he would leave the tub. This happened at the spring when it would just be the two of them - and sometimes Kisame who couldn't even contain his snickers at the sight of the brothers naked and so close together, only to be silenced by the shared death glare of Itachi and Sasuke.

So, it was agreed Kisame would be the, shall Sasuke say, midwife when the time would come for Itachi to give birth. It begged HOW the baby would leave him; he certainly lacked what a woman had. It was comical and disturbing in one, if anyone else heard about this. Poor Kisame couldn't stop laughing when he envisioned this, and this did indeed earn a lighting of the Sharingan from both brothers. He shut up then and there, sinking deep into the hot spring. If he wasn't blue-skinned, he'd turn red like a cooked lobster. _Now that would be nice to have for dinner,_ Sasuke thought, leaning into his brother's smooth, sweating shoulder. He wasn't ashamed to say he loved the feel and smell of Itachi.

 _Itachi...his body...his strength and comfort...the brother who held me when I needed him the most...the one I always wanted to be like..._

He closed his eyes at the feel of Itachi's lips on his forehead once again. He relished what it gave him. In return, he tilted his head upwards and kissed Itachi's angular chin.

Now he found himself laying in bed just as night was settling in. Tomorrow, they would leave finally. Three months were up. He had been giving this much thought in the last month: perhaps they could build a house of their own someplace. Nothing large or grand, but enough to accommodate their family if they wanted to expand. Kisame would become their child's - later children, if need be - godfather, and the shark man couldn't have been more happier to comply.

 _Fish-Face as our baby's godfather - what can he do, put the head of a dead horse in others' faces if anyone tries anything?_ Add in the fact that said Fish-Face had to be the one to get the ingredients for Itachi's strange cravings and once complained about one of them during the last month: "How the hell am I gonna make a salmon taste like pork, then pour chocolate and beansprouts atop to make it good?!"

And who could forget the look on Itachi's face when he snacked on a tomato, which was Sasuke's favorite, while he had to wait for what he wanted, and cursed at Kisame for taking so long? "Well, well, Itachi, it looks like that kid you're having has the temperament of you Uchihas, alright: downright angry when you don't get your way..." This earned a Chidori ball towards his way and a subsequent payment of the damage as well as an excuse that there was a minor disagreement, and a promise that it wouldn't happen again.

Sasuke chuckled at the memory, then turned at the sound of his brother's voice. " _Ryou_ for your thoughts, baby brother?" he asked with a sultry edge. He had gotten out of the bath with a towel draped low around his waist.

Seeing that brought the younger Uchiha's attention to the perfect chest and abs, the latter where the next generation of Uchiha resided for six more months. Itachi's belly looked the same with the lining, but there appeared to be a little more fat in the raised areas.

Just how could Itachi be so mouthwatering?

Sasuke blinked in surprise at his own thought risen unbidden. He found himself unable to stop his thoughts more and more every day. Sometimes he found himself...dreaming back to that day. When they...joined and conceived. It was wrong, forced on, but somehow it felt... _like it was meant to be._

 _We're inseparable, connected by destiny._

He was unable to take his eyes off of Itachi's exposed midriff. The elder noticed this, for he was sauntering over until he stood beside the bed his younger sibling lay, mostly nude save for his underwear; the blanket covered what was beneath, from the older Uchiha's eyes. Sasuke, however, kept his eyes glued on the lower half of Itachi's body, at his glistening skin and both hands going over his rippled stomach. The area between his navel and the base of his legs was missing that thin dark happy trail, something the brothers shared in common. "Sasuke?" Itachi asked.

"Itachi," he answered, sitting up and reaching to place his palm flat against the ridged belly, tracing the flesh until he found the firm bump in the middle. _Our baby._ Itachi let his towel go, but in doing so, he let it fall around his feet, revealing the area which wasn't much different from Sasuke's, that made the younger into a man - and once more begged how he was going to give birth. The end of Sasuke's palm made slight contact with the beautiful oasis of pubic hair, soft and damp against his skin. Itachi's sex was thick and long, more than his own, making him wonder how that thing had managed to penetrate him and fit him so well.

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. Both of his hands came to place themselves over that hand over his lower abdomen. "Feel our baby, Sasuke." His voice had dropped to a huskier, seductive level, making Sasuke swallow. Did he do that on purpose, or...?

He stopped thinking altogether when those simple, innocent words and his naked brother in front of him, as well as the bump that was their child beneath his hand caused his loins to tighten with heat. _Oh, gods, why would you do this to me?!_

He pulled Itachi onto the bed with him, throwing aside the blankets and then tugging off his underwear, before crawling onto Itachi's lap. The elder looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Are you sure about this?" he asked softly, pulling his brother close to him, their bodies regenerating the natural heat and need that the aphrodisiac did no justice for. This wasn't drugs or sealing jutsus; this was all between them. "I thought you said this was..."

 _I did...but I don't believe I can fight this much longer._ "I know what I said. I want my _aniki_ tonight," Sasuke breathed, placed a kiss on the other's lips, running his hands through long black hair slowly drying, icy like rich satin. "This is forbidden in the eyes of society, but we were brought together by fate, Itachi. We were never broken apart even when you left, even when I did hate you for everything. I might completely forgive you someday if I am given the chance, but tonight I don't want to think about it." He leaned against the more muscled chest, listening to a steady heartbeat. "I severed my bonds back in Konoha - but this one I have with my brother was meant to be."

Itachi's powerful arms wrapped around him, keeping him close. He was in a kneeling position beneath Sasuke, whose legs wrapped around his waist for closer contact, their aroused lower regions rubbing together and demanding that they do this. He was pregnant, but would it really hurt the baby this one time? Sasuke wondered that himself, but Itachi's desire and love for his little brother was also too great to be sated. They were naked, in this bed, in each other's arms, and somewhat confessing their love on another level that would be shunned and condemn them.

 _It's not like we're not condemned already in the world's eyes,_ the teenager thought wryly, looking into his _aniki_ 's smoldering eyes. "Please, make me yours again, Itachi. Make love to me again, but not because it was due to some artificial creation," he insisted, grasping chiseled shoulders. "And if need be, impregnate me as well."

 **It's been such fun to write pregnant Itachi. XD I'm one of the few to enjoy mpreg stories - sad fact is not a lot of people can make them as enjoyable and believable. It's not every day in real life you see a pregnant man. The only real medical term I know is hermaphroditism, which has a person born with organs of both sexes.**


	12. Chapter 12

**So sorry it's been so long with this. I was on fire with my other fic, "The Beast's Flower", and plus I had to think VERY carefully how to pick up the brothers' journey. This is very delicate and has to be treated with tender loving care.**

Chapter Twelve

If this was hell, because this was incest - and brought on by others for their own demented purpose - then the word was nothing but a label. All that mattered was each other and their love.

"Please, make me yours again, Itachi. Make love to me again, but not because it was due to some artificial creation...and if need be, impregnate me as well."

Sasuke wanted another baby, even though his brother wasn't that far along with the one they were having now, but he wasn't sure when or IF another would come along. He knew it only fair if he got pregnant on his part to spare Itachi pain a second time. Few times he witnessed childbirth on a mission, and one time with Orochimaru there was an experiment that resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. He never learned what happened to the mother and child because it had not been his concern at the time. Whatever the purpose was, whatever Orochimaru's twisted intentions were for this, it hadn't been Sasuke's problem to deal with. But it sickened him.

 _But I remember the screams of pain. The snake wouldn't let me be present; Kabuto took great relish in slamming the door to my face._

Itachi's lips were on his shoulder now, gently suctioning it and making the younger sigh with pleasure; to feel his hardness against his own was the big difference. "Sasuke, perhaps we should hold off on your part," he suggested breathily. "We have one here and more to think about before we consider expanding our family line."

Sasuke exhaled sharply and brought his hands into the elder's long, luxurious hair, free as the wind and soft like silk. Yes, he agreed with him, but this need for each other couldn't be put off. It had been three months since they were with each other, but that time had been under the influence. He wanted to really FEEL his _aniki,_ love him, have him again, and to trust him again. Maybe work on the last one with more time, but tonight they would feel and pleasure each other. "I know, but I still want you, _nii-san,_ and so I ask you to take me right now." He broke the embrace and looked into smoldering dark eyes filled with such love, devoid of the blank canvas and the menacing Sharingan - he was just Itachi Uchiha, the big brother he put on the pedestal and tried to catch up to in order to get their father's appraisal. To earn the same respect and admiration.

He laid back and spread his legs for Itachi to see. The other's gaze roamed over him, taking in every line and ounce of muscle and flesh, every hardened aspect of manhood including what was swelling proudly between the legs. Sasuke had never felt so flushed at his brother's intense gaze. Itachi then leaned over, avoiding touching anything else and going straight for the prize that was Sasuke's pubic bed, soft and light in both touch and appearance. He was just sixteen, after all, but there was no reason to be ashamed. It wasn't that Itachi hadn't seen him before. He sucked in a breath at the fingers stroking the fine short curls before that thumb traced the northern surface of his manhood, exquisitely loving him for lack of a better term. _He's doing it as it is; there's no analyzing allowed at a time like this._ Sasuke was still so young, had so much taken away from him and gave up what should have been his destiny, but he also wanted to feel what had been taken from him a long time ago.

Itachi leaned closer into him, his breath over Sasuke's face, followed by a soft kiss on the lips, then moved to gently lick his chin. "My _otouto..._ you've gotten stronger and _beautiful._ "

The teenager closed his eyes and turned his face the other way. Stronger - he was trying to prove it to him that he was, wished there was a better way to do so. Beautiful? He never thought about it. But _aniki_ was seeing it with his own eyes, so if there was one thing he never lied about, it was Sasuke's physique. His touches spoke louder than his words.

The tip of his member was thumbed now, his juices gathered on Itachi's digit which was brought up to his lips, tasting his baby brother's essence before the other's very eyes. The sight made Sasuke's cheeks deepen with heat, the blood pumping furiously between his legs. "Itachi!" He couldn't help but stifle a nervous laugh like he was a virgin again.

Itachi then took three of his own fingers from that same hand into his mouth, sucking on them before bringing them back down to where Sasuke's quivering entrance was. His special nerves jolted when his muscles were slipped in between by the first finger followed by the other two; he bit his lip and took a few deep breaths to relax. _Big brother is going to take care of you,_ he tried to assure himself as he looked deep into the eyes of his brother who was still looking down as he prepared him.

"Ahh, Itachi!" He arched upwards at the touch of his discovered sweet-spot, which made his elder brother smile from ear to ear. "Please, _nii-san!_ "

"As my _otouto_ wishes."

Sasuke cried to the ceiling, to the heavens, when his pregnant _aniki_ molded his intimate flesh within his baby brother's cavern, accepting him and patiently taking time to produce an offspring of his own someday in the future. There was no telling when it would happen, but it never came according to plan, that much they knew together.

Making more Uchiha children was out of the question as soon as Sasuke shoved it to the back of his mind and focused instead on Itachi above him, leaning down to kiss him softly. "Sasuke, that day...it should have been another way to bring us to the way we are now...but I don't think an alternative could have brought me to this happiness I never thought I would have now," he breathed, and it was then and there that Sasuke saw it which startled him.

The shine of a tear fell down the corner of Itachi's left eye.

" _Aniki..._ " He reached up to wipe it away, causing the older Uchiha to look at him with wide orbs resembling a lost child who made the wrong choice and never knew it until it was too late.

Suddenly, it triggered something from the depths of Sasuke's subconscious he never thought he would imagine come to the light, not even during this moment.

~o~

 _"Why, Itachi?" the little boy cried as he gazed in fear for his own life upon the sight of the older brother he never thought would resort to anything like this: the bloodied, dismembered bodies of every member of their clan - including their parents whom he found the elder over without even a hint of remorse. "It's not like you, big brother! It's just not...!" He desperately wanted to believe this was all a_ genjutsu _, that this was all a dream he would wake up from..._

 _...but Itachi's cold, heartless words that cut through his heart proved it was reality. "I have acted like the older brother you desired for one reason: because I wanted to discover how powerful you were. I needed to find a worthy opponent to test the limits of my abilities -_ you, _Sasuke. You have that unique potential. To ensure that happens is enough reason to let you live."_

 _The tears continued to burn his plump, fragile cheeks and tore every inch of his young heart and soul to millions of pieces beyond repair._ Itachi... _aniki..._ how could you do this to me...to Mother and Father, and the others...I don't want to hate you, I LOVE you...! _But he had no strength left to speak anymore. All he could do was continue listening to the cutting words._

 _"Now I have made you hate me," Itachi finished with a small step back, causing the child to step back himself, "and now you have the desire to kill me." A small, cruel smile appeared on his lips. "Admit it,_ otouto, _you want to see my blood spilled." The child only whimpered, refusing to admit it, but the more he resisted, the stronger the pain grew, and it caused his brother to scowl, taking that as his answer._

 _"Sasuke...this is of grave importance. You must listen carefully if you wish to survive, if you wish to become the third person to use Mangekyo Sharingan - including myself. In the Great Hall of Naka Shrine, under the seventh_ tatami _mat from the far right, there is a secret gathering place of the Uchiha clan. Within it is a stoned monument which carries every secret of the clan."_

 _His eyes flashed, but not red and black like before. Sasuke didn't want to see that; he didn't want to be subjected to another living nightmare. All he could think of was the fact that he would be killed by his own brother, his own flesh and blood, but Itachi sensed this and sighed sharply, closing his eyes and turning his face away._

 _"Oh, don't worry, Sasuke. You're not worth killing." Reopening his eyes, he looked back at his baby brother, the ice still there. "If it's any consolation, surviving such an unsightly manner as this, you're capable of one day becoming the third Mangekyo user, as I have said...however, there is one big catch." The moon overhead had been blocked by ominous, storm-threatening clouds, before they parted from the harsh mistress herself - overseen by a powerful male deity, however - and intensified the lines of Itachi's emotionless face as he finished. The howling wind didn't deter his deep, menacing but velvety baritone voice._

 _"Take the life of your best friend. You must kill him...kill him just like I did."_

 _Sasuke gasped in horror when he remembered the news of the suspicious death of... "That was_ you _, Itachi? You KILLED Shisui?!"_

 _"I did. That's how I obtained these eyes." The elder smirked to one corner before it reverted back._

 _"But if you wish to one day kill me in hate and revenge for this, then by all means flee - cling to your wretched life. And one day when you possess the same eyes...come back and face me."_

 _He fell to his knees with a howl of pain, in his body and his heart - most of all his heart. His_ aniki _took away everything he loved away...and now he was leaving him here alone to fend for himself. Because of his own selfish reasons. The memories: their practice and training in the forest, before he became ANBU captain at thirteen years old and began spending less and less time with him, holding him asleep at night during a thunderstorm, being the one he would talk to about the birds and the bees one day after hearing about the subject in school...all of it was a dream at an end._

 _He found himself looking up through his tears when he realized Itachi was still standing there, looking down at him...but the cold brutality was no longer there, for some reason. Sasuke heard himself gasp when he saw IT._

 _Long raven hair tied back rippled out like a raven's wing, the bird itself known to be present at a funeral. There were thick, shining tears reflected by the light of the moon._

 _Itachi was_ crying.

~o~

"Itachi..." he managed to breathe out when he discovered his hand cupped the elder's cheek, forgetting his hardness was still sheathed within his tight heat. "...you're weeping."

 _I remember...that night...you wept when you saw me fall in grief...you knew how much you hurt me. You never wanted to...you were acting out on orders..._

 _Itachi...you LOVED me as you said you did._

Itachi closed his eyes and turned his face into the palm caressing his cheek. He didn't speak; he even forgot he was still inside his brother, forgot about the pleasure momentarily as he drowned in his inner turmoil. Being connected to his _otouto_ like this...the younger decided he wanted to tell his _aniki_ now because Itachi...

"I remember, _nii-san,_ " Sasuke whispered, unable to stop a tear of his own, leaning up to kiss the other cheek. "You shed these tears when you left me." This drew a surprised, soft gasp through Itachi's lips when he opened his eyes again and looked into the teenager's - no, _young man's._ "You...you cried because you knew how much..." He trailed off then and there.

"I loved you, Sasuke," the older Uchiha breathed, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against Sasuke's. "Do you believe me now?"

 _Yes!_ That was all Sasuke would think of at the moment, tonight, and pushed it back once more so he could pull Itachi down on top of him so they could return to what they started. Itachi understood this and let himself be taken back into his _otouto_ 's loving, accepting embrace, drowning in the heat of Sasuke's inner body. Their bond as brothers ran deeper than blood from the day he'd been born, intensified by sacrifices, hatred and the desire to kill - but brought back together by unimaginable circumstances, condemned in the world's eyes together, but now they would spend the remainder of their lives in their own world.

"Oh, _aniki!_ " Sasuke cried out at the beautiful rhythm his brother set for them, losing control of himself.

Their bodies synchronized as one beautifully meshed fabric composed of two different colors, perhaps two different fabrics that harmonized as a perfect balance, when Itachi began to pull in and out of him, bringing his body upwards with his, gasping out what would be his last words for the rest of the night.

"You're right, Sasuke...whoever said our bond was severed?"

 **When I first reached the end of the sixth season after Itachi died, when Sasuke learned the truth through Madara, he remembered seeing his brother's tears - which brought my boyfriend to tears as well, and then my turn. :'( Itachi was a hero and a good man all along, just acting out on orders whether he liked it or not...and all because he loved his baby brother more than anything. Don't you just love their story?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Like I said last time, on fire with "The Beast's Flower" and just put up a REALLY disturbing oneshot once again for the brothers, "Inkyubasu" (Japanese for "incubus"), which deals with the aftermath of Itachi's death. I confess I'm no stranger to disturbing content, but that one is guaranteed to scare the SHIT out of anyone who reads.**

 **And now I bring you Sasuke, Itachi and Kisame with dealing with the older brother's pregnancy, starting a new life and trying to deal with those on their tails.**

Chapter Thirteen

Into his second trimester, he had to admit that things were a mixed bag of worse and better.

Soon after he, his brother and father of his child, as well as Kisame, departed from the inn not that far from the Hidden Rain Village and set out on foot once more. The next couple months to follow were tiresome, having to stop for shelter in a cave they would find or simply make do in open air. The walks and constant leaps through the forest were doing no wholly miraculous wonders for Itachi in his growing pregnancy.

He was now halfway into his fifth month. He was keeping himself busy with cleansing his and Sasuke's shuriken and kunai at the river near their constructing home which he and Kisame were currently hard at work on. To build their own home was logical, as decided before, and taking extreme care to make sure that no one would notice. This was on the outskirts of the Land of Waves, on an island which housed certain memories for Sasuke.

"That's the Naruto bridge," his younger brother said when they all arrived on a ship, under aliases once more and setting foot on the island. All three men were wearing civilian clothes and more than ready to go on the hunt - and Sasuke seemed to know where to look even though it had been a few years since he was here.

Itachi found himself looking upon the sight that his brother indicated, smiling softly and recalling the powerful tale which took place, in which Kakashi Hatake and his Genin battled against Zabuza Momochi, a rogue of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. _And if I recall correctly, Sasuke almost died protecting his comrades...especially Naruto..._

 _"...even though we are not blood-related, Itachi, I've been more of a brother than you_ ever _were to him!"_

 _Naruto...my brother is lucky to have you as a friend. But you can't make his decisions to return to the Leaf Village for him._

"Well, boys," Kisame announced when they were now en route across one of the many great rivers, passing under the bridge in honor of one of its great young heroes for more covering of the land. Itachi sat in the middle of him and Sasuke who was at the very end of the boat, assisting with the rowing while the "mother" himself relaxed in the middle and enjoyed the sights - but also with the intentions of making sure they were not being watched. But this nation which wasn't far away from the Land of Fire did not have such Shinobi around - not often anymore, at least - but would on occasion call for the aid of the Hidden Leaf Village. "On we go," Kisame finished in sing-song fashion, but neither brother was in the mood for any fun. Hunting for a residence and an isolated area was vital for their safety.

Itachi looked down at his steadily rounding stomach. _And the safety of this child I'm carrying,_ he thought, swallowing carefully and trying not to get water sick.

He found himself looking up at Sasuke, who had been keeping his eyes on his brother now, rather than looking around at this nation of memories. If he could make conversation to take his _otouto_ 's mind off all of this, it would be futile. Was there really anything pleasant to distract the younger Uchiha nowadays? Since departing the Hidden Rain Village regions, they had been doing nothing but discussing their future and their baby's future, and the Yokusuki who would return by the time of the child's birth; he knew it would be that day...or would they come for them just shortly before the due date?

He saw it all in Sasuke's eyes: his baby brother was equally worried and, like his elder, was doing his best to hide it, but they knew each other too well.

 _Madara..._

He was yet another to worry about. But since he knew the man, he knew that they would be found in the knick of time because the ancient Uchiha was beyond resourceful enough to track them at any chance he had.

There was also Pain and the rest of the Akatsuki. Deidara wanted nothing more than to still take him down, and Zetsu was a dichotomy of yes and no but would devour his dead body for fertilization. But Pain wouldn't kill him directly because of one such secret member masquerading another...

 _But at the same time, we need our comrades to help us. I may have rebelled, but they are all we have left to protect the baby._ Itachi felt his cheek burn and reached up to touch the source: he had shed a tear. His hormones were getting out of control over the littlest of things. It wasn't long before he found himself hunched over in his seat and sobbing beyond control. He didn't want his baby that he conceived with his brother to grow up like this; he wanted him or her to grow up peacefully and quiet, have what he never had, what Sasuke had before it was brutally taken away from him. A normal, happy childhood. It would not be easy, but he would do everything in his power to ensure his and Sasuke's son or daughter would have the happiness they were deprived of.

"Itachi?" Sasuke was alarmed, lurching forward at the sight of his brother suddenly melting down while they were in the middle of the river, traveling west for the more isolated islands. There would be one such body of land where they had all the privacy they could, they could gather all the resources they wanted, but that also meant moving as often to avoid anyone looking twice. You know what they say when they noticed a drastic change in a short amount of time. "Brother?"

He pulled himself together when Kisame's sharp eyes whipped around and landed on him with his own version of concern. "I'm fine," he said, clearing his throat and pulling his jacket around himself, but it was far from fine, and both men knew it as he did. But he wasn't pressed.

Maybe it was his pregnancy hormones, a little over the third month at this time, but his breath had been taken at the sight of the island with its lush forestry when they arrived. This was... _perfect._

Itachi had to frown. He must be planning ahead of himself, but for the first few years they could make do here, but when the child got older, that meant he or she needed to go to school, or get some form of education. He couldn't bear the thought of having his child grow up without one, and he certainly didn't want it to force it onto a path it didn't want.

"Itachi," Sasuke said softly, reaching over with one hand when they docked, and he was doing the honors of tying the boat after pulling his brother out after him, "we're not going to figure everything out in a short period of time."

 _If only it were that simple._ He leaned against his younger brother and placed a soft kiss to his forehead, suddenly craving for something other than the dreadful fish making him sick.

~o~

 _I'm going to be a father. Now matter how many times I think about it, no matter what time of day - it keeps coming to light._

Sasuke was the one to do the majority of work, with Kisame's help, while Itachi was getting bigger and bigger, his hormones ranging more out of control now. The brief breakdown when they first docked at their secluded island was proof, and the younger Uchiha knew why. "Itachi, we're not going to figure everything out in a short period of time," he'd said, and it was easier said than done. Becoming a parent had come unplanned, and in the most grievous of circumstances, committed through incest.

Shortly after that, Itachi announced his sudden hunger for anything but fish that they had been catching often in the last couple months. But while this village was prosperous now that Gato and his lackeys were done for, he knew someone was bound to recognize him sooner or later, and it would get back to the Hokage, and worst of all: _Naruto._ He didn't want the dobe to find him here and disturb their life. He didn't want to be taken from his brother and their child...

He had gotten a job as an iron smith, just to make sure his hands would never lose their touch. He didn't intend to let himself become slow and pathetic; anything to be active and energetic, if tiresome by the end of the day. And enough to provide for his pregnant brother, himself and their shark partner - partner in a degree it would go on his part. He and Kisame learned to tolerate each other for Itachi's sake, though Fish-Face really took pleasure in dropping annoying barbs on him once in awhile.

Construction on their home island began, but it was progressing slowly enough because they had to make sure that no one found their residence suspicious. Thankfully no one asked questions about him - much - and no one recognized him yet. _But if someone does, then it's back to moving again, and our options are limited..._

Itachi was definitely starting to show his round belly more, which also made it difficult for the brothers. Five and a half months along now, he looked so... _beautiful._ But sometimes Itachi made the trips into the town for supplies, and he had to hide his condition with larger clothes, though that wouldn't last when he got closer and closer to his final term. It would mean having him confided at home - or lack of one with their current building progress; they refused to get outside help lest they aroused questions about themselves. Sasuke found himself drawn more and more to his older brother like this, seeing the growing roundness in his body, which would make another faint because this was a _man._ However, because of his long hair, his _aniki_ had been mistaken for a woman more than once. Those who looked carefully at his features and heard his accent spotted right away that he was male. Everywhere they'd gone in the last few months, it was the same thing since they first set out.

He arrived home with great haste every day, having his ability to walk on the water - no, run - with Kisame with him. If anyone wondered how Itachi kept himself busy during the day, he meditated and had used the last of his strength to put forth the latest addition of the support of logs that he and Kisame had cut down from the forest. They hoped to finish in under a year, but at this rate, it would be two years. When he arrived at the site, in which they were surrounded with sea and majestic forestry so dense that few to none would notice nothing amiss, Sasuke exploded on his pregnant brother who had to exert himself while their child was getting stronger. Fifty-fifty chances were that he could put the baby's life in jeopardy should an accident take place when he and Kisame were away.

"Oh, this is going to be fun to watch," Kisame had said with a chuckle as he hauled his working gear off his back and left to pick up the pieces Itachi left so the brothers could get into a heated debate, which the younger recalled happened only two days ago.

Itachi had not since spoken to him since then. Things were...strained between them. He had been reading a book he'd bought in town just for his elder and "mother" of his child, but the knowledge of it being only hormones wasn't excusable, nor was his temperament. _I'm really becoming that soft, am I?_

 _"Itachi, you're carrying our child, and that child is growing! Suppose you fell or something, and you lost it!"_

 _"I'm fully aware of what I am doing,_ otouto, _but you cannot order me around! I'm your older brother; I'm supposed to order you around!"_

 _"Let me throw that right back at you: you are PREGNANT, for Kami's sake, so you can't turn the big brother-little brother dilemma onto me this time! I won't let you put our baby's life in danger like this!"_

 _"I tend to be bored from lack of activity all day, aside from meditating, and I wish I could head to town for something productive, but who has to supervise our slowly growing home while you slave away with molten iron just to feed all four of us, including this one here? You are honoring your part in looking out for me, but I will do the same for you in return. I want nothing more than the best for our family."_

Itachi had done so much for him and was doing portions of the house now for them, and then his emotions spiraled out of control again because of the heated intensity of their argument. Sasuke had to get through to him because he cared enough to protect both of them, but after that Itachi stormed off, weeping and running into the forest unlike himself. The older brother he knew would never let himself break his own barriers down over being lectured, but it seemed becoming an expectant parent changed it all. Having watched from behind a pillar collection, Kisame snorted.

"Eh, give him time, Sasuke. He'll come back, and you know it. Say, how about we prepared him that fish and ingredients he loves so much?" _The beef-flavored salmon with chocolate? No thank you. But Itachi loves it._ If he wanted to make his lover feel better, then this might help.

Night fell that same day, the food cooked over a good fire and the kitchen still under renovation, but Itachi didn't come back, which worried Sasuke to no end. His heart was in a fuss when he thought about many ways of what could happen to his brother and unborn baby - but the long-haired Uchiha came home with both hands cradling his belly from underneath, expressionless and glazed to the eyes. He refused to look at Sasuke at all for the rest of the night, slept beside him with his back facing him and wrapping both arms around himself as they slept under the starlight, listening to the music of the waves splashing against the rock of the island.

By the end of this day now, Sasuke decided as soon as he got home that he would get down on his knees before Itachi. He never begged for any forgiveness, but this was his brother...

He stopped at the sight of Itachi with his warm, woolen cloak wrapped around him to prevent the breeze from chilling him. He sat beneath a tree with his eyes closed, cross-legged and holding his belly again. To see him this way brought an aura of peace, if not enough to alleviate all of the present tension. Sasuke took no more than a few more steps when Itachi's eyes opened with surprise and then looked down, a sweet smile present and a hearty laugh tearing from his throat.

Alarmed, Sasuke took a step back. "Itachi!" He hurried over and knelt in front of his _aniki_ , worried that something was wrong with the baby...but wait, if something WAS wrong, why was its carrier smiling and laughing like this?

"The baby moved, Sasuke."

His breath hitched when both hands - Itachi no longer wore his Akatsuki ring, having thrown it into the river when they first arrived here, and the younger saw it with his own eyes - came to take one of his own and placed it in the front, to the left, where he felt the abrupt, firm beat of a foot that kicked against what housed it for a few more months. He felt his heart stop before restarting again, consumed with overwhelming warmth and relief with knowing there was still life in there. _Our child..._

Itachi's cheeks were shining now, but he was unable to speak with such joy. Sasuke wanted to apologize now, but it might ruin the moment because of this -

"What's the occasion?" Kisame made himself known as he arrived to see the brothers, then raised both brows and bared his sharp teeth with glee.

"The baby is moving, Kisame," Itachi told him. "Come and feel it."

The shark man shifted from foot to foot, unsure about this because this was still refreshing to him, before going over and kneeling, putting his hand over the same place Sasuke's had been, laughing when he felt the child kick...until the atmosphere became grim when an all-too-familiar annoying voice filled the air.

"Am I imagining things, or am I seeing the two traitors themselves and the little brat having a - oh, hell!" Deidara exclaimed when he took a step back at the sight of Itachi cradling his bulging stomach, flipping on the spot. And what do you know? A Venus fly trap guy with a black-and-white half and masked Tobi were standing beside him, but the former looked shocked on both sides - only their reactions were none of Sasuke's concerns. He assumed the position beside his brother who continued to cradle the baby in his body, and Kisame stood up, ready to draw forth Samehada.

The rest of the Akatsuki had found them.

 **The Land of Waves seemed logical for the trio to settle down, but of course the peace has to be disrupted sooner or later. And what better than for a quiet life than in the land which harbors an immense memory for Sasuke?**

 **Uh, oh. :O Now what will happen now that they are discovered...?**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

 _The rest of the Akatsuki had found them._

"Deidara," Itachi ground out, protecting their unborn child with one hand on top and the other beneath. He was thinking the same thing as Sasuke: _how could they have found us? Oh, stupid question! Of course they would have sooner or later...have they been keeping TABS on us this whole time?!_ "Zetsu...Tobi." The younger did not miss how the elder spat the masked one's name. Tobi was the more carefree of the entire group, annoyed the hell out of Deidara - which was the blond one's job, at the very least. But Sasuke had no idea what to make of the dual flytrap who looked like he wanted to feast at the sight of Sasuke and his "traitorous brother" as well as Kisame who was more than ready to lift Samehada he now recovered.

"Oh, ahem...when we found you three," Tobi said nervously, fidgeting and holding both hands up, "we didn't think..." He trailed off and pointed a shaky finger at Itachi with his swollen five months' proof. "Itachi...who is...?"

 _Damn it, they have no right to know about this,_ Sasuke thought fiercely, putting his hand over his child his brother was carrying. He felt his lips pull back into a tooth-baring snarl.

Deidara recovered after his initial brief shock and rounded on the man in the swirling orange mask. "Just shut up, will you, un?" he snapped. Zetsu took his opportunity to slink further and examine what he was seeing, but Kisame blocked both the brothers protectively.

"I may not slaughter my old comrades, but if any of you so much as draw forth anything on these two, you answer to Samehada and me."

White Zetsu started before recovering himself. "Kisame, what is going on here?" His black counterpart took his cue. **"Looks like he is the Uchiha brothers' bodyguard or simply protector now. Where Itachi goes, he goes."**

He wasn't going to just sit here and listen to these bastards talk about his brother like this. Standing, Sasuke allowed his tunic to fall down the sides and reveal his bared chest. His work tunic covered his Curse Mark, but now it was exposed for the Akatsuki to see. He hadn't used Orochimaru's powers or his own in months, but he hadn't rusted yet, and he knew it. "If you are all going to speak of my brother like this, now is your chance to go through me as well." _Chidori stream for all three of them will do the trick..._

 _Or better yet..._

He felt himself assume the transformation. The fire raged through his blood and nerves as the black flames eroded and spread over his flesh, changing color with the hate and anger that he had for these people before him. His hair grew out, his nails became claws, and the color in every part of his body assumed the neutral, inhuman palette. Deidara's eyes widened, Tobi leaped back to stay out of the fighting, and Zetsu shimmied back into the earth; where the hell was that plant sucker going? Was he too much of a _coward?_ Sasuke sneered and nodded for Kisame to join him; the shark man was only happy to grin and comply - but damn it, Itachi!

"SASUKE, KISAME, DON'T!"

All eyes were on him, but none more frustrated than Sasuke who wanted to kill the insufferable blond. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip him apart just for you!" Sasuke growled through his fangs. The elder Uchiha closed his eyes and kept one hand beneath his protruding belly while he used his other to hoist himself up to both feet without trouble.

"I don't wish for violence here in these parts - not when I am like this."

Sasuke started and clenched his fists, his claws digging into his skin and on the verge of piercing to bleed himself out of frustration. He didn't want to let these guys go; they barged in on their sanctuary and threatened them all; why else would they be here? Their great leader held a grudge over Itachi rebelling against his orders to rescue his brother from the Yokusuki, so what other option was there other than to kill him, his brother and Kisame who had gone along with him?

Deidara sniffed. "Yeah, like I'm going to go easy on you, un. Great Leader Pain did give me the permission to enjoy taking you down, or did you forget that, un?" he sneered, provoking Kisame at once. Samehada convulsed with its master.

"Keep going, clay boy," Kisame snarled.

"You're getting nowhere with this, Deidara," Itachi said, walking forward with his bulge proudly in both hands, his head held high. "I'm not surprised you came to kill us all -" At this point, Sasuke decided he could force himself to calm and see where this would go. He itched inside to get this over with, but he knew his brother enough that Itachi would tell him to calm down. "- but your fantasy to spill my blood with your pointless bombs will only end as it is: a dream."

"Hey, what did we agree on the day you asked me for your little favor involving the wimp here?" Deidara countered back. "You said you'd let me kick your ass, and today is the day, un!"

Itachi took a small step forward, impassive and calm. "You intend to do such a thing when you can see this?" He nodded down at the rounded growth in his hands. "Do you even know what this means, hn?"

The blond was stricken, blinking and slackened to the jaw. Kisame snickered at the reaction, and Sasuke mimicked his brother smugly with his own "hn". And poor Tobi was vivid with shock as his apparently limited brain mustered it all up.

"Y-you mean...that's really a _baby,_ Itachi?" His laugh to follow was pitched and brief before he calmed down. "I knew it all along - but who's the daddy?" he asked timidly when Deidara's livid glare was back on him - but his anger did not match that of Sasuke Uchiha's.

 _If we tell him, then that means Itachi and I are both labeled incestuous sinners, but that would be IF anyone else and the Leaf Village discover this. I can't afford such a burden on us or the child._ "Does it matter who the _father_ is?" he sneered at Deidara. "Itachi is the one raising the child, with us by his side. He is my brother, and I refuse to let him go alone."

"Sasuke is the father."

~o~

He always knew sooner or later the rest of the Akatsuki would find them. Pain was most likely beyond enraged with him, but he had a choice and made the one he knew had been right all along. But alas, it was never going to be over. If Pain ever did uncover anything about the Yokusuki himself, then it gave him some form of understanding, but his lenient levels were intolerable.

 _Madara must have done a fine job keeping him on the leash as long as he managed - and these two are here. I should say three because one certain is here that I do not want near Sasuke and the baby..._

But he was here. Even if Itachi was pregnant with the next Uchiha heir, he would fight to his last breath if he had to.

 _And when the Yokusuki come, they won't be a match for Madara's will...but what about_ after _that?_

" _Aniki!_ " Sasuke did not need to explode further, because they both knew why he had to do this to them both. "Why are you doing this?" the younger demanded, turning around on him. "We can't even trust -" Sighing, Itachi held up his hand to silence him.

"Be calm, _otouto._ We might be opposite now, but they deserve to know what transpired whether we will feel ultimate humiliation or not," Itachi said, knowing it was true. He returned his attention to Deidara icily. "Remember you promised that we are safe for however long necessary - and this is the reason why." He ran a hand over the firm roundness of the front of his belly, the sight making Deidara cringe a little. He was having a difficult time processing this. "It regards the Yokusuki..."

Deidara's eyes widened. "Oh! Yeah, un...those guys Pain-sama said no to," he said quickly, putting his hands in his pockets. "They did...oh, no, they didn't..." His mind was racing wildly, and Itachi could see it all. "But how? How in the hell did they get you knocked up through your own brother?!" he exclaimed.

 _Here goes nothing._

"When Kisame and I arrived, we had the drop on us. These people are nothing like the Akatsuki or any other organization in existence," Itachi began, then flinched when he felt his lower back throb a little. He needed to sit down. Sasuke noticed this and hurriedly guided him back over to where he'd sat under the tree, remaining by his side as he did so. Kisame followed, not before motioning for the other three to join before them, all cross-legged and listening to the older Uchiha's story. Sasuke was too disgusted to tell them any of this. Grunting with satisfaction, Itachi went on.

"They possess every known jutsu, act faster than the Sharingan can catch, and they have but one goal in mind: to bring forth bearers of the Byakkugan, the Sharingan and every other powerful bloodline into one great clan - but now they need our Uchiha powers. They have every means to take it, by force or by..." He looked down at the result of his sinful, narcotic-induced intercourse with his own baby brother. "...this."

A tense silence filled the air.

"Incest and babies with the Sharingan," Deidara stated in utter disbelief. Tobi visibly quivered while Zetsu's trap partially closed in a vain attempt to try and block out what he just heard. "Dude...that's just..." He swallowed and glared down at the grass before him.

"Disgusting."

The word made Sasuke snap. "Yeah, that's exactly what it was!" he yelled. "They forced us onto each other, drugged us - and unleashed a jutsu on us without a care as to which one would be the one to bear the child. And now that my brother is, it's my destiny to help him restore our clan...even if it means running away in order to protect ourselves and our child."

"Un, getting all loud and mighty on me," the clay bomber stated with a cracked grin now. "Who said you boys both wanted this, un? I never imagined it either, but now I get the picture why you left us, Itachi." He sniffed. "And though I want nothing more than to kill you myself, I don't think I'll bring myself to murder that one." He nodded at the five-month growth which the long-haired raven clutched protectively. _He never hesitates to bomb anyone in his path - but he has limits as we all do._

Kisame growled, hating to be left out. "Deidara, after shooting your mouth like this, I'm tempted to kill you here and now, and I don't think Pain-sama will miss you in the slightest other than your 'talents'."

"Hey, Shark-Face, back to insulting my work! Art is an -"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" White Zetsu moaned, and Black Zetsu concurred. **"We should have left you back at headquarters after all."** Deidara glared at them both but said nothing.

Sasuke hissed and looked up at him. "Itachi, why are they wasting our time when they should have killed us? We got more important matters to take care of, remember?" _Our home, the baby born in four more months, the Yokusuki..._ Itachi nodded.

"Enough," he said finally. "You're all here, and though I have no right to ask of you...I need the help of the lot of you." He felt himself crack a little at the request; the last thing he needed was refusal. "My brother, Kisame and I have tried to manage constructing our home, and the child comes in less than five more months. I have to protect it from the ones who are responsible for its conception. Sasuke and I have no need for anymore violence. Neither of you understand such matters, but this is what we chose."

The three Akatsuki before them looked at each other with unreadable expressions - well, _"Tobi"_ was unreadable with the mask. Both sides of Zetsu was torn, and Deidara? He'd never been more frustrated in his life. It amused Itachi to no end. From both corners of his eyes, Kisame and Sasuke both looked disbelieved at the fact he had to ask for the help from these guys who had been sent by none other than Pain, though Itachi knew the truth deep down why he didn't order their deaths when he could mercilessly execute ten Hidden Rain civilians or more at a time...

Finally, Deidara growled after Tobi's infuriating, excitable persistence. "You so owe me for this, Uchiha - _both_ of you. Fine, but this is the LAST time I owe you any favors!"

 **Nothing but Akatsuki drama and humor when the trio (the brothers and Kisame) ask for help in regarding to their home and the unborn Uchiha baby. Let's see how this goes. XD**


	15. Chapter 15

**Once more, so sorry it took so long. "The Beast's Flower" is coming along just as fluidly. XD Plus I was fearing I was rushing the timeline of Itachi's pregnancy, but I do have great ideas and feel it coming to a close in a couple chapters or three, at least. But either way, I'm so proud of this fic as I am with the other. :D**

 **I'm also currently on episode 347 of Shippuden the anime, so I know who "faked masked Madara" really is. :O But because of this story's AU events, we are leaving him as is. Nevertheless, it was badass to see the real face as well as the real reanimated Madara in action. :D MADARA UCHIHA: THE BOSS GOD OF ALL NINJA. (my boyfriend's words XD)**

Chapter Fifteen

When the others left him alone under the tree, Itachi leaned back against the trunk and sighed as he cradled his swelling belly. A few more months to go, and this baby would change the course of their lives...but his moment of peace was intruded by a certain deep and mystical voice behind the mask whose shadow draped over his form, making damned sure that Sasuke did not see. Currently, he was with Kisame and speaking with Deidara and Zetsu.

"Don't be dreaming of an idyllic life where your brother and this child can live in peace. Peace is impossible in the Shinobi world. Why would you pretend otherwise?" Madara leaned forward by one inch. "And did you think you could keep our distance forever, Itachi?"

He clenched his jaw and turned upwards to glare at the man. "Keep away from my brother," he warned. "And this child won't be used for yourself. I gave up enough when I spared my _otouto_ \- and neither you or the Yokusuki will snatch my child, either."

Madara sighed. "My boy, the child is still under my protection as you and Sasuke are. Pain is still spiteful of you, but very soon he will launch an attack on the Hidden Leaf Village," he informed the younger Uchiha who closed his eyes. _So, it will finally happen...but I cannot do anything about it. I am rogue, and it will be a matter of time before it finally becomes reality when his own people are forced to turn against him. If anything happens to Tsunade, the current Hokage, then Danzo will be the one to devolve the nation into chaos..._

"Does...Pain-sama know we are here?" Did he need to ask when he already knew the answer? Madara nodded. "Of course. I rebelled and should have faced proper punishment."

The ancient man shook his head. "As much as I would allow 'proper punishment', Itachi, it would be too cruel to inflict it on one carrying the next generation." His single eye traveled down to the roundness in Itachi's hands. "I do offer my blessings, however - but I repeat, the happiness you share will not last. The child will be forced to endure what you and your brother know too well. Of course, we will remain by your sides for this -" He nodded at the construction of the cottage. "- but it will be destroyed, as it tends to be. Very soon, you will be forced to join the fight, but if not you, then Sasuke will. You wanted him to become strong, did you not? That was why you left him alone, returned time and time again to his aide, and now you are both wallowing in sin with the birth of a pure-blooded Uchiha heir in danger of a cult creating a bloodline of assorted elite powers. When this child is born, your task and Sasuke's will be done - or they can force themselves upon you so they could expand on their parts. It will not be the first time this has occurred in an organization such as this one.

"Aside from keeping Pain on his leash, I have been expanding Zetsu to follow the Yokusuki's activities. They have remained quiet ever since they took you and your brother, but the Sharingan sees all as you know well enough. But we all will strike when they come," Madara swore, the promise loud and clear. When did the ancient warrior ever break a promise?

If there was one thing the two Uchihas had in common, they were men who honored their words. This man was whom Itachi had looked up to - but it was a price to pay for obtaining the Mangekyo Sharingan. And there was also Danzo he despised moreso; the beast took Shisui's right eye before his best friend bequeathed him his remainder before going off the cliff into the river. Because Danzo and the Elders were moving against the discriminated Uchiha clan - and by that time, the suspicions were true. _My family obsessed with our history, fearing change and the big picture...and Sasuke was too young to understand that. But I can't keep him shackled forever, and our child -_

 _\- but that does not mean we can't fight for it. I fought my entire life, and I will not let childbirth and pregnancy damper me, nor will I let my blindness to come do the same._

"When the child is born, let Sasuke and I fight beside you...but leave us alone," he said tiredly. "Whatever you wish to do afterwards, leave us out of this mess. I've repaid the village enough, and I have done enough to Sasuke to last a lifetime." He found himself looking over to see Sasuke and Kisame at work again, picking up a log and assisted by Deidara and the so-strong Zetsu standing by to keep watch. It was amusing to watch the clay bomber complain every now and then.

Then his brother's eyes met his, a slight smile tugging the corner of Sasuke's mouth, but he was unable to return it.

 _Sasuke and I never stood a chance against the Yokusuki, but we will get our chance next time. That is a promise._

~o~

Much as he despised the Akatsuki being here, and if there was only one thing to thank them for, it was helping him and his makeshift family finish their home in three more months' time. Itachi had one more month in his pregnancy left, and he was full-blown beautiful in showing it. He'd sit back to watch as their cottage was completed, but the younger brother knew something was troubling him all this time. But Itachi only smiled warily and assured him it was nothing.

 _He's lying. He's keeping something else from me._

On second thought, maybe it was the fact that the baby was coming, and the jitters of becoming parents especially after a life of blood, war and pain. Itachi had lost his innocence long before Sasuke had, so to bring life like this was still riling his emotions to the fritz. He was becoming more of the protective mother he was every day now, and his temper towards Deidara especially amplified tenfold, when the blond would complain that his "art is an explosion, not a constructive foundation like this!" _What the hell, clay is a stronghold of a foundation; we need something stronger besides wood. Besides, the villagers will start to notice something amiss if they pick up missing woodlands..._ And that was enough to shut Deidara up now; Sasuke had to smirk wickedly and fuel the other man's narcissism by assuring him that his art could be taken to another level when they were done with this. If only he himself could see that.

By the time the house was finished, the group stood before it in awe at the artistic masterpiece that came in the simplest of forms.

If you had to ask Sasuke, it was just like any other home he had seen in his life, bearing a slight resemblance to the old Uchiha compound, supported by polished wooden pillars and graced with traditional aspects of their culture. It wasn't too modest or too grand in shape, size and appearance - but the hard work and sweating bullets as well as mild spilling of blood had paid off.

"Thank you all," Sasuke said, wiping his forehead and looking at the group. Kisame could not stop his tooth-baring grin, Tobi giggled and waved both his hands bashfully, Zetsu squirmed side to side in his trap - and do you need to ask about Deidara?

"Heh..." was all the blond could get out as he rubbed the back of his neck, grinning to one corner. "...I guess I owe you and your brother an apology. This is the best piece of art I've made."

 _And if I hear "art is an explosion" one more time, this "explosion" will turn on him in the face._

He felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and pull him closer. "It's as perfect as it can be, Sasuke," Itachi said softly in his ear. He turned to look into his brother's eyes before traveling down and seeing the full growth he cradled beneath his hand. Their child had grown so strong it had given the "mother" no rest at night, but during the day, Itachi would be so weary he'd sleep throughout the afternoon and wake up early in the morning only to pass out again. And when Deidara would be blowing up the basement made below with one of his creations, Itachi would snap out of it and roar at the top of his lungs, threatening to strangle him only to be restrained by Kisame. Then the elder Uchiha's wrath would turn onto the shark man, Sharingan blazing.

His brother's anger increased because of the hormones instilled, and his strange appetites had grown a little less if remaining as they were called. In terms of how they continued to live, their wages and living was decent, and Sasuke interacted well during work if remaining as distant as possible. To think that a long time ago, his big brother was there doing it all for him, and now it was the younger taking care of him and the little one on the way. And they were surrounded by men whom he didn't consider the greatest of friends but also helped them to their own degrees.

Sasuke found himself remembering those he had wanted to seek out as soon as he took care of Orochimaru. _Suigetsu...Karin...Juugo...it's been nine months, and I have been so fixated on my brother and our family, and the Yokusuki...I have forgotten about the team I wanted. But it's too late now; I have my_ aniki _and these people around me. This is enough for me, more than I could have asked for._

Although he stopped worrying so much about the Yokusuki, it did not ease his strategizing of how to prepare for them. There were two different ways to go: they could come on the day the baby was born, or the next day. Either way, Itachi and the child both needed his protection.

"Oh, may I?" Tobi piped up, getting a roll of the eyes from Deidara. "Would you both like to see the...n-nursery?"

 _Our baby's room._

This was made with his help and the oh-so-go-lucky Tobi who had to point out this and that which he thought was perfect for a baby, even if they had no idea what the gender was yet. The color scheme was cream, particularly with the curtains and the bedding in the crib which was made by one of the richly-scented dark woods from the forest, and some pops of red to give the sensation of Uchiha blood. All needed necessities and toys were there, all of which brought overwhelming waves within Sasuke. Who'd have thought he'd be in this place he was now? He never got tired of asking himself that.

Itachi was still holding his belly when he began to walk around and inspect every little detail, before slipping into the rocking chair beside the crib, the shine of a tear clearly present when he was as overwhelmed as Sasuke was. The almighty Itachi Uchiha became a subdued, emotion-ridden but powerful structure all because of something wonderful produced between him and his own baby brother during something sinful.

~o~

It was late in the night not even a month later when he opened his eyes and looked at the quarter moon streaming in. It turned out that the baby was rolling in his belly again, making him sigh out of exasperation as well as relief. This was a sign that the child was still alive, letting him know it was impatient with waiting to come into the world. He was laying on his side when he felt it; he raised his hand and ran it over the smooth, firm hill of his belly.

 _When are you going to give me a night of rest, hn?_

The baby squirming wasn't the only issue; it was the shifting body of his brother behind him. Sasuke was awake. He felt warm breath on his ear and then soft lips on his cheek, moving down to his neck. Sasuke had awaken in the middle of the night because he had an unexpected late-night hardness, something Itachi hadn't felt since month five, due to his hormones starving for sex before it was decided that they couldn't risk a miscarriage.

"Itachi," his brother breathed, taking in the area where his neck and shoulder met, sucking his sensitive spot and making him gasp. A free hand came up to pull Itachi's sleeping gown up to expose his legs and belly, even the place where he was burning. " _Aniki._ "

He whimpered when Sasuke kissed that place he sucked. " _Otouto,_ " he panted, "we mustn't...the baby..." He was silenced with his mouth covered by Sasuke's, before the younger broke it for air.

"Don't worry, we won't do it that way." To demonstrate, he moved Itachi to lay on his back and helped him pull off the cloth, leaving him naked. He then sat back and took off his shirt and pants before rejoining Itachi. The latter moaned as his _otouto_ lavished all the attention on him, starting with his nipples and the valley between his pectoral muscles, then moved down to lick and trace the faint lines of his six-pack which stretched with the sleeping child inside; he reached Itachi's manhood, giving him all the attention there. Gasping sharply, Itachi forgot how _blazing_ it was; it had been so many weeks, after all, since they'd done this.

"Oh, gods, Sasuke!" he panted when that devilish tongue ran over him, the tip of his nose pressing into his bed of curls. His thigh muscles twitched and spasmed, his fingers curling into the sheets.

What drove him all the more insane was the sight of Sasuke's beautiful rear end sticking into the air while his hand reached in and - _oh, Kami, Sasuke, you're going to kill me AND the baby like this!_ While his magical mouth made love to him, Sasuke's body turned the other way to accommodate himself against Itachi's long enough untouched sex, his hand reached down between his body and the bed, touching himself in the process so they both received equal pleasure. Seeing this, Itachi's vision flared with white as his body burned with the intensity, his orgasm exploding and spilling his essence down Sasuke's throat at the same time the younger emptied himself into nothing in particular, soaking the sheets beneath them. No matter; the bedding needed to be cleansed soon anyway.

They fell asleep back in each other's embrace, having a long day ahead on Sasuke's part tomorrow, but as soon as dawn broke, Itachi awoke to find his brother gone. He sighed, his euphoria from late in the night gone, but Sasuke was the one providing for their family now. And besides, he was surrounded by familiarity, so he wasn't completely alone.

He looked down and saw that he was still nude. Smiling, he let the blankets fall to his lap, revealing his unborn. He could never get enough of the sight and the feeling of being with child. _Mother, if this was how you felt with me and then Sasuke, then I know how you felt. I know the little pains you went through during the term..._ He leaned back, letting his tangled ponytail fall over to one side, dangling off the edge of the bed. His skin tingled, his nipples hardened, when the warmth of the sun washed over his skin...

...before he was suddenly hit with a tight clenching of the muscles in his abdomen and lower regions. Sharply hissing, Itachi bolted up and gripped the bed. He grunted when another hit several seconds later. _Something is wrong..._

He yelled for Kisame, knowing his partner was up at this time. Deidara and the others would hear eventually, the blond complaining about being awoken so early in the morning. It wasn't long before the shark nin was at the doorway of his bedroom, and then the mopey one himself as well as the panicked "Tobi" sputtering and asking him if he was all right. Zetsu was nowhere to be found.

"What the hell, un?" Deidara snapped, blinking the sleep from his eyes, which widened at the sight of him naked and with his legs spread. "Oh, man! I wake up and eat only to come in to THIS!" Kisame whacked him at the back of the head. "OW!"

"Itachi, what is going on?"

He was about to respond when another clench caught him, and his body jerked upwards again. This time was extremely _PAINFUL._ Kisame's beady eyes bulged, Deidara's blues popped like eggs, and Tobi shrieked, already knowing the answer.

"Oh, no, Itachi, it's time! You're going to have the baby! Oh, dear, we have to get you ready...oh, no, if only Sasuke were here...!"

Moaning, Itachi fell back against the bed while the men around him were buzzing around the house to get the boiling water ready and the medical instruments procured from Amegakure. His heart began to pound, his skin started to sweat, and the little one in his womb was stirring. Both hands roamed over it, feeling and taking a few easy breaths.

 _So, you've finally decided to come._ It wasn't long before the realization struck: _Sasuke, you should be here. Our child is going to arrive today._

 **I noticed just now that this story is just as long now as "The Beast's Flower" - so far, anyway. XD**

 **Next chapter: Itachi gives birth, and trouble returns. :O**


	16. Chapter 16

**I thought it'd be a good idea to explore a little bit of Sasuke's life in the workforce, since we can't have it all be focused completely on family and home constructing life, right? :)**

Chapter Sixteen

The intense waves of heat from the fire broke his pores and released the perspiration of labor. The left side of his neck tingled; the Curse Mark hadn't been active in months since he threatened to attack Deidara for opening his mouth. He'd finished with the molding of the latest collection of _tekko_ which was favored for the use of fists, now onto the pressure-point striking _shobo_. At the end of every day, he'd return home still sweating bullets, but it paid off. Anything for Itachi and their baby who was coming any day now...

"Masaru?"

His alias, which meant "victorious". He, Itachi and Kisame had come up with these names while they lived here, the need to pretend they were someone else not a bother in the slightest. The quiet life had done justice to the hardship his body and physical appearance had undergone. His muscles were harder and more defined, and his wild hair had grown a little longer if still shorter than his older brother's, which he kept tied back like Itachi.

 _Why am I still thinking of him as my brother? We have been together all this time, we love each other beyond the boundary brothers are supposed to, and he's soon to give birth to my child. We haven't been married, but there is no way it would be allowed that way. We are more than what tradition has allowed._

He wiped his brow as he looked up at the brawny older man with an eye patch and dark brown hair tinted with some gray at the temple. "Takao, a surprise," he stated when he finished his set. The elder chuckled and shook his head.

"My boy, it seems you were right since you first joined us six months ago. You are one of my finest smiths yet, even for your ripe age. Masaru, my boy, Doru will take your batches now, and you may take the one-hour break now." He chuckled and reached to ruffle Sasuke's tied-back hair despite it being held in place, making the younger man sniff to himself. He needed to stop by the nearby stream to wash himself off; he couldn't stand the smell even though this was the product of labor.

"Thank you, Takao, sir."

When he was safe in privacy away from the shack where all weapons and viable household tools were created, he shrugged off his tunic on either sides to expose his nicely tanned and honed body. He rubbed his shoulders and arms before kneeling down and gathering the water into both hands, splashing himself and moaning to the heavens. This break during the day was worth the trouble. Sometimes he wished he could get completely naked and dip in to swim, but someone could catch him.

He hissed when he heard his name - his _real_ name - being called behind him, not many feet away from him and directly next to the singing body of water. "Oh, Sasuke!"

"Zetsu," he said through his teeth when he was satisfied with his body cleansed, "what are you doing here?"

"It's Itachi," the white half said before the black one snipped, **"It's happening. The sprout is going to burst."**

He stared at both halves with dully blinking eyes and then the meaning hit him in the face. "Oh, God." _Itachi is in labor. He needs me...but I have work to get back to. I can't just leave..._ And Zetsu sensed his dilemma.

"He started this morning, and Deidara is really on the verge of fainting," White Zetsu said, unable to fight off giggles, but Black Zetsu was more serious. **"He's been calling for you. Kisame is being the 'doctor', which Deidara can't do. He's not the one who knows how to do cross-C sections. That seems to be the only way to get the little one out of him..."**

Sasuke held up his hand, closing his eyes. He didn't want to hear this anymore. His brother/lover was about to give birth, and he needed him, the father of the child. Sasuke deserved to be there, but if he were to go to Takao, it meant a full explanation. The man knew he had a pregnant lover living with him, but nothing further given. He was the one doing all the providing, which was majorly praised by the older iron smith. "Not even seventeen and taking care of loved ones on your own, I'm impressed," he'd said. Not much background asked for other than formerly from the Leaf Village but left a few years ago, wandering until he found an identity for himself.

"Damn it," he swore. "I need to think of what to do. If I get caught leaving just to protect us all, then we're screwed..."

 **"I have just the idea, Sasuke. It's one you probably haven't done in awhile, which none of these iron-heads will notice sooner..."**

~o~

 _Kami...gods...I never knew childbirth hurts as much in a man as it does to a woman._

Itachi sucked in several gasps of breath as he looked up at the sun-bathed ceiling, the afternoon streaming in on him after four hours of contractions and spasms in his lower regions and abdomen. It was taking forever; first he'd been relieved that the day had come, but now he wished it was over and done with. If this little one was doing this to him on purpose, intent on killing him, then this wasn't his to control.

He was still naked in bed, his hair having been taken care of with help from Kisame who knew him as well as Sasuke, and he could relax only a little bit as the hot water was applied to his skin, in every part accessed. He moaned when a contraction softened into something resembling pleasure if only to torment him. Compare that to Deidara having a hard time with this as he and Tobi wrestled with how the procedure would work.

A C-section was in question as he was male, so nothing else between his legs like a woman would have. He grunted as he clutched the sheets to his side with one hand, and the underside of his heaving belly with the other. "Steady, Itachi," Kisame urged him, dabbing the hot, wet cloth to his forehead and then to his collarbones. He sighed, melting into the wet heat. "Sasuke will be here soon. Zetsu just returned."

 _Sasuke._ Itachi sighed again and turned his face into the direction of the other man. He'd feared his lover's job if he had to torture his mind with how to get away just for the birth, since no one should know this, no one should pry and follow...he tried not to fear the worse. Their child needed him to do his job in bringing it into the world safely. But it didn't feel right without its father, even though Sasuke WAS coming...

 _Hold on, son - or daughter. Your father is on his way. I'll protect you, too, no matter what. Just please, bear with me._

"Okay, o-okay," Tobi stuttered as he took his place at the end of the bed where Itachi's legs were spread. "So, if I may suggest, if we are going to put Itachi under, does this mean I get to be the one to do the jutsu?" _A jutsu to put me under while they perform the section - just perfect. It means minimal risk._ Deidara had stopped shaking his head and took his place back with his annoying masked "friend".

"If you're such a genius then, Mr. Mask, then do the honors, un."

Kisame growled and held Itachi's hand. "Just shut up and do it, you idiots. This baby and its 'mother' are both counting on us."

~o~

 _Six-year-old Itachi stood outside the room where he could hear the screaming and wails of his mother as she fought with her life to bring forth her new baby - his new brother or sister. He didn't know anything about this stuff, but this was the moment he learned it hurt so much. The cries were painful and more than he could bear. He clenched his fists and paced back and forth outside until his father caught him and ordered him to sit back down._

 _"Your mother will be fine." He scowled with his back turned at Fugaku's indifference. "She was strong when she brought you into this world; this time around I'm sure of it."_

 _Two more hours later, he heard more cries, and this time they did not come from his mother in the room. He did not know how to feel about this beyond relief. His mother was alive and doing well, and the baby sounded like it was going to make it. His father laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come, let's go see them both," he said, ushering Itachi into the room following a readjusting of bedsheets and blankets, and Mikoto was washed; the baby had been placed into her arms, swaddled and squirming, eyes tightly shut against the sunlight glaring into its face._

 _The cut of dark hair over the precious, round little face, cheeks plump and rosy, and little hands trying to adjust to their motor skills...Itachi had never seen anything like this before. His stomach fluttered the longer he continued to gaze upon the precious new addition to the family._

 _"It's a boy," Mikoto said through her tears. "Itachi, meet your new little brother...Sasuke."_

A life...a new life. He's so strong... _He poked the baby's cheek out of curiosity, the sensation in his stomach growing. He looked up and glared when Fugaku reached to take his second son from his wife's arms, but the look in his eyes wasn't anywhere near the proud sunlight in the mother's eyes or the flipping in the new big brother's stomach._

 _"Sasuke Uchiha."_

~o~

 _Mother...the day Sasuke was born._

He was in and out of his haze when he felt the jutsu being released from his body and senses. He winced when he felt some pain lingering in his lower body, but it wasn't as terrible as he remembered. Opening his eyes, his hazy vision cleared if remaining blurry around the edges. He was so tired he wanted to go to sleep, but somehow his mind wouldn't let him, and neither would the opalescent colors of the sun, telling him that the late afternoon was coming to an end.

While he'd been under the influence of the sedation jutsu, he had dreamed - no, _remembered_ the day of the birth of his baby brother. Seeing the joy in his mother's eyes and the pride in his father's. Fugaku had been proud as he could to an extent, but afterwards as the little one grew, he would just give Sasuke the secondary treatment while he groomed Itachi, his "pride of the Uchiha clan". Now Itachi swore he would never treat his and Sasuke's anything like that manner.

He gasped when his eyes snapped open at the reality kicking in. He lay still, the only moving parts being his arms as he reached beneath the covers to feel how much flatter his stomach was, if somewhat fatty and ridged.

"Itachi...you're awake."

Looking up, he found himself staring into the beady eyes of his partner. "Kisame," he managed, clearing his throat, "where is my baby?" He turned his face past the shark man when another, familiar voice answered. He was startled by the sight of _Sasuke_ with a bundle of cream and red in his arms, with Deidara behind him as well as "Tobi", and the blond was still trying to recover from the shock of having to perform a surgical childbirth procedure and then pass out when it was done. At least the masked man took it much better. Kisame chuckled and stood up to take the little swaddled thing from its father who never once broke eye contact with Itachi.

"He's strong, Itachi."

Pride swelled in him while he sat up, taking the little one from Kisame who was unable to stop looking at the baby like it was a tasty one, but he would never do such a thing to his godchild. Itachi found himself looking upon a face not much different from when Sasuke was like this.

He and Sasuke had a son.

 _A strong and healthy boy._

"He's beautiful," Itachi whispered as he held the one he brought into the world, consumed with such love that it made the hot tears pour down both cheeks, earning a collective "Awww" from the others. Looking up at Sasuke, the younger's eyes glowed with pure happiness. He bit his lower lip as he looked down at their son, raising a hand to caress the silken dark head. In response, the baby cooed and blinked once but didn't open his eyes yet. There was no rush, as they both knew those eyes would be the same expressive obsidian orbs which would one day awaken with the Sharingan.

Something inside Itachi fell when cold reality threatened to come to the surface. This moment of peace and happiness wasn't going to last, and it was reflected in Sasuke's eyes. They both knew WHO was coming, but right now, they needed to spend as much time as they could with their newborn son - who was yet to be named, and Itachi knew just what was perfect for him. "I know what we shall name him, my love," he said softly, pressing a kiss to the soft forehead and drifted alight at the soft, innocent rosy aroma.

"Hn?" Sasuke leaned forward and placed his own kiss right next to the spot already marked.

Itachi smiled ear to ear. This was in honor of someone most precious to them both. "Shisui. Shisui Uchiha." _For you, cousin, my best friend._

~o~

"Shisui," Sasuke breathed when he looked down at the infant who fell asleep against Itachi's bare chest, breathing through his parted lips in soft pants. The sight was too blissful to be perfectly innocent. _That shadow clone I left until this was over was worth the trouble,_ he thought with victory.

If he hadn't done that, he would have missed this one's birth.

"You did great, _koi,_ " he murmured against Itachi's forehead. The elder closed his eyes and returned the kiss on the tip of his nose. Their family wasn't going to be like the old clan; they would live however they wanted, they would fight together, and they would survive however long they wished even if someone else tried to tell them otherwise.

Unfortunately, now that the long hours were done, he had a couple hours left of work, so he needed to get back. The shadow clone could only do so much, and his chakra would be too drained by the time the Yokusuki came...

 _Never fear. Zetsu will warn me again of this. Besides, we have friends with watchful eyes on those bastards._

Itachi looked very sad, the gaze making his heart melt. "I'll be back soon," Sasuke promised, kissing him again and then giving another to little Shisui's forehead. The child sighed in response. "The both of you sit tight." When he turned to face the others, he gave them all a grateful smile. "Thank you all."

~o~

While the happy couple that was the brothers overjoyed at the arrival of their newborn, Madara could not help but smile behind his mask. So it was done; another Uchiha in this generation, even in the most abominable of circumstances. He slipped away from the group when Sasuke bade them good-bye for now and took off to finish his shift at the iron smith's shack.

He'd held the child when it was taken safely from the "womb", healthy and screaming, squirming and bloody, not in danger. Deidara had glared at him - correction, he'd glared at _Tobi_ \- and tried to take the baby from him to wash and swaddle himself, but Madara behind the mask declined and insisted he was quite capable of handling a child. _Especially if this child is a legacy of the Uchiha bloodline. One the Yokusuki must NOT have as long as I am around._

A tiny part of his hardened heart melted when the baby, named Shisui, briefly opened his eyes before closing them again, yet to adjust to being in the world. So pure and innocent, untouched by the cruelty of the Shinobi world.

He'd given the child to Sasuke as soon as his son was cleansed and ready to be given to the other parent as soon as he roused from his slumber, from the effects of the jutsu by his own hands.

"Well, I guess we leave 'mother' and son be for awhile, boys," Kisame announced, ushering them all out of the area. Both Zetsus concurred and slipped into the ground so they could enjoy nature outdoors and continue their close watch. Deidara could not have been happier, claiming he needed a drink and then took to downstairs for more work. Which left "Tobi" alone to his thoughts...until he sensed a VERY threatening presence within this humble home. He narrowed his eye.

 _Don't tell me..._

The presence was coming from Itachi's room. Quietly, he slipped over and pressed his ear to the wall, catching sexless, hollow voices that did not belong to the younger Uchiha.

 _"The child is ours now - but so are you and your brother, Itachi Uchiha. We promised we would return. It will be futile to have your friends come and fight us."_

 **Uh oh, yup. :O You know who that is.**

 **I just couldn't resist bringing in the memory of the birth of Sasuke while Itachi himself gave birth to their son, named after none other than Shisui. :') It just seemed like the right thing to do.**


	17. Chapter 17

**I realized three days ago marked the two-year anniversary I first joined as a member of FFN. XD My, how time flies and with ALL of my stories - save for this one and "The Beast's Flower" as well as a new one - completed.**

Chapter Seventeen

He lay on his side, his back facing the sunlight blessing him and this child in his arms. _Shisui...my Shisui. If only your uncle could see you now._ A lock of his long hair fell forward, which the baby reached for without opening his eyes; he must have some strong sensory already. The proud "mother" he was brought a tear to one corner of his eye. What he knew Mother felt when she held her sons each time they were born.

"Thank you, Mother," he breathed softly, knowing she was smiling down at him from the heavens. He fought hard to shove down the pain he felt when he stood over her after Father, katana raised and ready to execute, having saved them for last. If there was only one thing Fugaku ever spoke so sincerely...

 _"Even though our views differed, my son...I'm proud of the Shinobi you have become."_

His shaky hands brought the blood-stained blade down soon after, getting it over and done with in time for little Sasuke to run in with tears of pain and betrayal.

"I will not let your innocence be taken away so soon, Shisui," he promised the precious one in his arms, kissing his cheek again. "Your papa and _otousan_ will always be there for you."

His finger unconsciously pinched a plump cheek, earning a small grunt, and his finger was taken into those fingers - _just like Sasuke used to._

Itachi gazed upon the face of his and his brother's son, who yawned and snuggled against his chest, relishing warm, bare skin and lifting a little palm to place against his beating heart, then traced around to feel for something. Itachi frowned, wondering what Shisui could want - and then he sucked in a surprised breath when his nipple was grasped between tiny fingers. He realized his son was hungry. He panicked for a moment; he had no breasts, so he couldn't breastfeed his newborn if he wanted to. Luckily, Deidara did get the baby formula with Tobi's help, but before he could call for them, he was graced with an ominous presence and voice filling the air.

 _"We promised we would return at OUR choosing."_

He looked up with heated passion, protectively clutching his baby close to him. Shisui whimpered at both the pressure and sensing the danger before them. Three black cloaked forms in broad daylight intruded upon their sanctuary, without emotion that did not do his natural masking justice. "I know, and we all anticipated it," he said icily, "and you will not tell me that my confidence has wavered just because you possess more than I do. This child is mine and Sasuke's; we'll fight to the death if we have to, you bastards."

 _"The child is ours now - but so are you and your brother, Itachi Uchiha. We promised we would return. It will be futile to have your friends come and fight us."_

Despite his slight fear, Itachi felt his smile grow. Oh, they had no idea of one particular member who was beyond what they could comprehend; who would dare to take Madara Uchiha lightly?

"If you don't leave now, I'll scream." That was the best he could think of, earning a rasping chuckle from all of them - and then his unlikely savior showed up. A swirling cloak of red and black and a mask of orange radiating mystery and desire appeared before them all in a swirling rush.

"I don't believe we are by any means acquainted," Madara stated, letting his true voice come to the surface. "I'm impressed you chose this time to make yourselves known, and I am not surprised in the slightest. I do know why you are here..." He raised his hand as a gesture to surrender - or rather, asking _them_ they do so in order to spare his wrath.

But the Yokusuki were not intimidated. _"Madara Uchiha...we know who you really are. You've come to witness as we take what is ours, have you?"_ they asked, slyly and collectively.

"Tobi, what the hell is -?!" Deidara halted in his steps and started at the sight of the figures in black and orange. "Oh, damn, is this what I think it is...?"

Now Kisame joined in. He bared his teeth and had Samehada ready to attack this oh-powerful chakra before them. "You bastards again," he growled. "I was expecting this moment to come. Now Samehada gets a taste of your pure chakra after all." Itachi shifted in bed, clutching Shisui closer to him; the child began to whimper and cry as he suddenly realized something terrible was going to happen.

He gritted his teeth. His body was in no condition to fight, but he had to do something and knew it... _I am this child's protector. I gave him life, and I will protect it._ Sliding out of the bed, he slipped over to the side of his masked ancestor...only to suddenly find himself immobile. _Damn it, the Shadow Possession! My Sharingan isn't doing so well anymore. I must be getting weaker; it's a price to pay for becoming the bearer._

"Yeah, take this, un!" Deidara shouted, throwing a select decade-number of his clay birds at the group, but their explosions were enveloped into shadowy mist, transported elsewhere. _There is another: the Transportation Technique._ The bomber, dismayed, took a startled step backwards and spitting out a curse in their native tongue. "Damn it, how can they be so tough?!" He turned his attention to the masked man. "Tobi, what do we do now, un?"

He had not expected the masked one to respond in his normal voice. "We do not back down, no matter what happens." But he spoke too confidently, for Itachi, with the baby in his arms, found himself once more being transported in darkness, away from his former comrades and away from Sasuke who was too late to arrive in time to stop their tormentors who returned as promised.

His body was exhausted by the time they landed, hitting concrete and keeping his hold on his child who was still crying. He shushed him gently, sitting upwards and rocking him back and forth, but the cold reality prevented Shisui from relaxing even if he wanted to. Looking up, Itachi saw that this time around, they were not in a cavern. It was a shrine or temple, lit with signature candles which made him roll his eyes - and then he saw the symbols carved onto several parts of the walls around them. Decrepit as this place was, Itachi knew where they were. He was surrounded by the Yokusuki who all bore down on him intently.

 _The Uchiha hideout._

~o~

The message from Zetsu just as he finished for the day:

 _"Itachi and the baby were taken away."_ _ **"By none other than the Yokusuki."**_

"DAMN IT!" Sasuke raced home as fast as he could; a shadow clone was out of the question as he had finished anyways, but there was no time to lose. He had no questions to ask, no time to waste asking them, only that their friends were waiting for him to come so they could sprint to wherever his family had been taken by these demons.

Tobi greeted him now, in his usual high-pitched terror. "Sasuke, oh, dear, poor Itachi, and the baby!" he cried. "We're going after them right now, and the abductors have a trail left to follow!"

"Yeah, my bird is going to bring us all there in a flash, because Tobi sniffed out where they were taken," Deidara added with a sniff. "Those guys put up a fight without trying too hard like us. You'll never believe that they absorbed my bombs; that's an insult to my art!" He slammed the side of a beam framing the door, making Sasuke narrow his eyes.

 _Your damned oversized clay bird won't be enough. If...wait, Tobi has_ transportation?! _That could have been faster than this, but didn't he say -?_ "You said you _sniffed_ where they were taken?" he demanded of Tobi, earning a snort from Kisame as they all disembarked from the house to make way for the nearest cliff.

"He damned right said so, Sasuke," the shark man answered. "Which means less trouble to waste, less many days to hunt and search for them like the time we went to rescue your hide." He winked.

Sasuke snorted. He had no time for this inane bickering. "Alright, we're done talking. We get on that bird and fly to where my family was taken. Where are they?" The six of them - himself, Kisame, Deidara, Zetsu in solid humanoid form, and of course Tobi, whom he had greater suspicions about now - hopped onto Deidara's clay bird and took off into the sky.

~o~

 _"Ah, so you recognize this place."_

Itachi glared up at his captors, the feeling "mutual", only this was ancient history rather than unfamiliar surroundings like before. "The old Uchiha hiding place - how devious," he replied, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He kept Shisui close to him, refusing to give these inhuman fiends the satisfaction of taking his child from him. "What do you want of us now, hn?"

 _"Since you have succeeded in bringing forth one offspring of the Sharingan -" How DARE they talk about my son - my child that I_ made _with my baby brother I love more than ever - like he's a thing! He is a part of me, of_ us! _"- you still have more to do, Itachi. You have been chosen as the vessel for the lineage, and you will be vital to aiding in the growth of the offspring until they are of age to join our organization. Of however many you will produce."_

His stomach lashed out when his heart dropped into it. Shisui stopped crying and was now just whimpering, squirming into his "mother's" hold. This meant that he would be used as he was told, then disposed of when the Yokusuki were satisfied with the amount of Sharingan legacies he would bring forth. Years, months of pain and birthing, and his beloved Shisui taken away from him...and Sasuke...

"That is going to happen - NEVER!"

He looked up with a sharp gasp, startled at the sound of that voice - and the sight of the group barging in through the rooftop that had been blown up by none other than clay birds. _Deidara!_ And he wasn't alone...

 _Madara...Zetsu...Kisame...and Sasuke._

~o~

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Deidara yelled when his bombs were planted, and the action happened as he said. All of them backed away. Sasuke had wondered why on earth a direct attack when these people had more than one jutsu up their sleeves - _but they wanted us to come, why not? I'm the brother and father of that child. I know I am wanted; they are expecting us._

 _They must want a challenge so badly. Well, that's fine with me._

 _And this time I will be prepared._

All of them had caught the words of the seemingly unaffected Yokusuki as Itachi - _thank Kami he and our son are all right!_ \- listened to what would become of them both: _"...chosen as the vessel for the lineage, and you will be vital to aiding in the growth of the offspring until they are of age to join our organization. Of however many you will produce -"_

Sasuke raged. They were going to use Itachi far beyond what they'd done to them both; he was going to be the whore made for more children, and their son was going to be "raised" until he was old enough to join this depraved organization! _Oh, no way in hell I will allow this!_ He cracked a grin when Deidara burst and yelled it would never happen - and this was their cue to leap to the attack.

"I shall get Itachi and the kid away from here!" Kisame announced just as he shouted out his " _Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"_ Sasuke smirked as he made the hand sign for his clan's Fire Style; if Fish-Face had used the simple Water Bullet Technique, that powerful torrent unleashed on the intended obstacles could only do so much, whereas the shark forms launched would high-hard impact the enemy - and one of the Yokusuki who was before Itachi and Shisui leaped into the air as they barely dodged the realistic-looking sea creature with its jaws snapping.

Deidara was on his bird and in flight when he scooped up the three and yelled out, "Art is an _explosion_ \- so take THIS for mocking me!" Four, maybe five fist-sized sculptures which looked like spiders - and they shot thick strings of webs out at the growing number of Yokusuki - three now - so the chakra inside them would latch onto, even if it meant a HELL of a ton of it that the Yokusuki possessed. _Every jutsu in existence means an amount far greater than the skies..._

 _Damn it,_ Sasuke swore to himself, _there HAS to be a weak spot._

The Sharingan could assess chakra, yes. Itachi would not be joining him because their baby was in his protective embrace, and he had Kisame protecting them, and Deidara was piloting their flight. Which left him and "Tobi" to these guys.

" _Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"_

His heart just about exploded when his blood boiled as the flames left through his mouth, cheeks puffing painfully, as he aimed for the group which dodged his attack with Water Style. Snarling, Sasuke leaped out of the way, deciding that lightning ought to do the trick. "CHIDORI STREAM!" he yelled, throwing the bolt and his fist into the roaring waves that splashed about the area of the chamber, the electrical currents surging in all directions...and going for the ones responsible for the water jutsu. Just how could these guys have so much, do a damned fine job hiding their cult and way of life so well and yet still have all of this power...?

And then he spotted the swirls in their chakra nature. It reeked of earth, of nature beyond mortal hands. So natural and yet so abnormal at the same time...

...and then from the collection of black shadows formed by the five members gathering, a dense forest shot forth and made way for him.

 _They dodged my Chidori effect - and now they have Wood Style!_ _Well, there is one thing left to do._ He threw himself over the forest aiming for him and applied the Fire Ball once more to set them all aflame. But the Yokusuki detracted from the forest art and reformed behind him. Sasuke tried to leap back to gain his upper hand, but an invisible force knocked him off his feet and sent him sailing uncontrolled into the air. He roared with disgust and dismay that he had been made the fool - but he soon found himself caught in the arms of another.

Suddenly, a darker-toned accent filled the air - and it came from none other than Tobi himself, who appeared in an air current resembling the pattern of his mask. _The Transportation Technique...the one cousin Shisui had been known for_. He whipped his head around and saw it came from _Tobi._ He was taken aback. _That laugh...who IS "Tobi" -_ really _?! Who is the man behind the mask?_ "What are you laughing about?" he demanded angrily.

"You see it as I do, Sasuke," the masked man replied, continuing to hold him this way, making him feel humiliated. "You see their weak spot." He was about to snap and demand how he saw it - but then his eyes caught IT through the single hole in the strange mask.

It was a _Sharingan._

 _So I must be half-correct. Whoever this man really is, he must be either an Uchiha himself or another who received the Sharingan, like Kakashi-Sensei..._

"Tobi," he said through his teeth, "would you mind telling me _who_ you really are?"

~o~

He assessed it all: the Yokusuki had Hashirama's Wood Style, which sent his blood to optimum levels. How...DARE they take the one jutsu that his onetime ally turned rival possessed?!

To learn this was not entirely the issue, but another which impressed him, a man of over a hundred years old, who was not so easily impressed: _Sasuke has proven to be stronger, as his elder brother anticipated and believed him to be. Most impressive, indeed._

Now he held the younger Uchiha in his arms, having saved him from his guard taken off by the enemy. Yes, the young man had assessed the powerful chakra levels, off the charts, and knew that only the late First Hokage could have harnessed such powers, and that was one factor Madara Uchiha admired in his old enemy, having proved it in their many battles.

 _There is little time for speculation, but they had to have taken what little left of Hashirama Senju that Orochimaru or even Danzo carried - or anyone in the Leaf Village keeping under confidentiality. Crafty people, these ones are...Naguto was not bluffing when he stated he could not assess them in the beginning._

Deidara and Kisame were going well with their parts in protecting Itachi and the infant, but the clay beasts could only do so much. He, their leader, would see to it that the discovered information would be given to them soon, but right now, Sasuke deserved to know his true identity now that the time had come - only parts of it.

"Tobi, would you mind telling me _who_ you really are?"

He sighed. "I will give you more later, my boy, but very well. I am the man your brother has spoken to you about. I am not a fool to assume he would not. I am Madara Uchiha."

Sasuke bared his teeth and glared up at him. "So Itachi told the truth all along. You've been alive this whole time," he stated.

"A story for another time as I am confident we can take these devils on, Sasuke. Can you trust me when I tell you that I have more than one trick up my sleeve?" _As in my glory days._ "The Yokusuki will know true fear with the Uchiha combined - the elder and the young as one."

 **Wow, that was intense. XD It was difficult to bring to life, but I hope it was worth it. Next chapter will be the last of the battle as well as the end of this story. I know I never rushed; you just know the end is near when you feel it. Stay tuned! :D I love you guys who enjoyed this as much as I have.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Not much to say, but read and absolutely review. :') All good things must come to an end, right? I am proud of this as I am with the past fics I've done, no regrets.**

 **Enjoy the final fight with Sasuke saving his family, combined with the badass awesome of Madara! :D**

Chapter Eighteen

 _Madara Uchiha...he is holding me. Itachi was honest all along...I feel his chakra is so much stronger than either of ours._

Sasuke almost lost concentration of their enemies before them, yet he could not stop repeating those words in his mind, speaking of solid promise and honor, as a true Uchiha: _"I am confident we can take these devils on, Sasuke. Can you trust me when I tell you that I have more than one trick up my sleeve? The Yokusuki will know true fear with the Uchiha combined - the elder and the young as one."_

 _I barely know this man as I know my own brother - but I'll trust him just this once._

"Put me down and I'll say yes." The other man chuckled and let him stand and assume the formation. He possessed the Sharingan, so let's see what the great Uchiha elder could do like he did in his glory days. Both men faced the gathering of dark, faceless Yokusuki and made their hand signs in unison.

 _"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"_

 _"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"_

 _Oh, Madara...his Fire Style is superior compared to mine and Itachi's!_

What Sasuke saw nearly knocked the breath out of his lungs as he unleashed his own torrent from his mouth - and it collided with the roaring hell that put the Fire Ball to _shame_. This had to be the highest peak of all Fire Styles, for the great ball of flames spread throughout the chamber, enveloping anything and everything in its path. He watched in sheer amazement as the figures of the Yokusuki were consumed at the same time his ancestor roared over the raging wildfire which consumed the area, leaping for the opened rooftop above their heads.

"OI, OUT OF THE WAY!" Deidara yelled as his bird brought him and the others away from the site. Both Uchiha men - himself and Madara - remained a safe several yards away from the crack in the concrete which licked with wild blaze that would be impossible to extinguish unless you had all the chakra for more than enough Water Release Jutsu; Kisame might be a master of the water element, but his abilities weren't enough to match the ancient warrior's level.

 _There is no way the Yokusuki could have survived this..._

 _"Did you hope to accomplish this by burning us to a crisp at once?"_

"WHAT?!" Sasuke had no idea if he bellowed, or Madara or even any of the others over them. _DAMN THESE BASTARDS! HOW COULD THEY GET PAST THE GREAT UCHIHA! DAMN THEM ALL!_

He felt a firm, gloved hand place itself on his shoulder as they faced the group now, limited to only three. _The others didn't make it...well, that is a relief. Maybe there IS hope yet._ He felt his mouth tug at one corner; from that corner, he saw the masked man cant his head to the side. "Their numbers are quickly lessening - now you must have another trick up your sleeve, my boy," he said softly. "Considering there is one other they will not dodge..."

Sasuke's mind lit up along with his smile. _Oh, yes..._ The fires of the Curse Mark began to take form, spreading throughout his body; his hair grew out and his fangs and claws, his skin changing color. Baring his teeth, he slapped his palms flat against each other, then puffed his cheeks and thundered:

 _"Fire Style: DRAGON FLAME JUTSU!"_

~o~

Shisui wailed at the thunderous wrath of the flaming dragon that soared into the skies, barely missing them all on Deidara's bird by a hair. The clay master himself was livid that they were almost killed. "Hey, no sense in firing with us in the way!" he shouted down to Sasuke, making Itachi roll his eyes. Kisame growled through his teeth.

"Idiot, that jutsu of Sasuke's was shot towards the sky for a reason! Dragon Flame - it has to be something that Orochimaru taught him, or maybe because Sasuke absorbed the bastard, he inherited much of the snake's powers in addition to his own!" he pointed out.

 _That jutsu aimed for the heavens, in the form of a dragon..._

 _Madara's destructive fire annihilated everything below the compound in its path, took out many Yokusuki - but now a few remain. Now Sasuke can do the rest. My little brother really has gotten strong._ He felt a tear run down his eye and burn his cheek. If any of the others around him would notice and laugh, he wouldn't care. He found himself looking down into Shisui's eyes, now opened and blinking when he caught his "mother" weeping with pride and joy. He cooed and reached upwards.

The simple action provoked his inner fire - the fire which risked an enormous amount of power.

 _"Amaterasu!"_ he whispered harshly, drawing mortified gasps from his comrades. He knew what he was doing; this would not be good with his child in his arms, but his brother needed this portion of his help.

The black flames surrounded the remaining Yokusuki who harshly started and cowered into each other. He smirked. _Ah, so they have one fear that they were too cowardly to reveal: the black fire of Amaterasu. They assumed I would never release this to trap them. Now, Sasuke, do your final trump card..._

Their eyes met one final time before it was broken, at the same time Itachi's right eye throbbed with some pain. It wasn't severe, but this was the cut-off he had to make to spare his eyesight. If he lost it, then he would never get to see what his son in his arms looked like when he grew up. He sighed and clutched the baby against his bared chest.

Madara made eye contact with him, shocked to his core. He had warned him about this, and it had been a long time since he used the Mangekyo and its powers. Kisame concurred from behind. "Itachi, you fool, un!" Deidara said angrily, but he ignored them all. He felt his smile tug wider when he opened his eye again in time to see the flash of lightning from Sasuke's hand just as the gathering of stormy clouds overhead flashed and produced a dragon form... _Kirin._

"This is a special jutsu of mine," Sasuke called out victoriously to the Yokusuki who looked amazed and now petrified. This was the last time; they lost, and they knew it. "All I have to do is direct its power to YOU - for what you did to me and my family, and to others!"

The Yokusuki had their final words: _"You will not have this day...Uchiha."_

White-hot light blinded his vision and the others as well, no final cries of pain from the enemy...and it was over when the rooftop of the old Uchiha hideout was nothing more than rubble, only one half-broken statue of the clan's crest standing tall and proud.

"Oh, now THAT is art!" Deidara cheered, clapping his hands excitedly. "An explosion, un!" Kisame chuckled and joined Samehada in a twist of the body just for the sake of it, and both Zetsus whistled in unison.

Shisui cooed and laughed, the first time his "mother" saw and it made him laugh, too, bringing the child up closer and kissing his brow. "It's over now," he cooed back to the infant. The bird flew down to the wreckage, picking up the survivors who were none other than his brother and their ancestor. Itachi leaned back into the younger's touch when he felt arms wrap around him from behind as they took flight. _We both owe Madara a great talk - and Sasuke...you really have become the man I always believed you would._

~o~

Itachi was back asleep after the day's events, and the baby had been placed down in his room. Deidara was eyeing the masked man for the entirety of the flight home, but of course, the latter assured he would owe him the explanation "another time". Kisame sniggered and muttered good luck before going his own way.

Now Sasuke was alone with the man who hid his face save for the half that was the one bearing the Sharingan, before replacing his mask as it was before. The night had fallen, blanketing the sky with stars over the Waves Land. He winced as he brought the steaming tea kettle over to the older man, pouring them both even though they weren't complete strangers - but Sasuke didn't completely feel at ease with this man despite fighting alongside him today and emerging victorious over his and Itachi's tormentors. _Now we will never deal with them again...but there is so much I have to know from Madara Uchiha._

"You fought bravely and strongly as your brother and I have anticipated," the other man spoke.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I am willing to accept that praise - but why should I find it within myself to trust you especially after what Itachi has told me? And given you were the one to take your own brother's eyes?" he stated hotly, making the other sigh and bow his head.

"Izuna, my beloved brother, rest him, was a willing candidate. I did not steal his light from him. I assure you, Sasuke, I loved him as you yourself love Itachi. But you know the life of a Shinobi comes with a great sacrifice that even tears your heart out in ways you could never have imagined - even if you have experienced it more times than you could possibly count." Madara placed his half-empty cup on the table that separated them. "You have questions about your family, I gather."

"Itachi told me everything. My father and the clan discriminated by the Elders, made to live on the outskirts and given the righteous duty to watch over the civilians - but it was all a ploy to wallow in paranoia," Sasuke answered bitterly. "I thought the Uchiha name was a proud one...but I despise the Leaf Village even moreso for putting my dear brother into all of this. He was their spy within the clan, given the weight on his shoulders - and in the end, he had to be faced with the choice to let our kin live and revolt, or to kill them and save the entire village he loved..." _But no more; he owes no more to those bastards,_ he swore with a vengeance. If anyone ever tried to come to them again, he would be ready.

Madara nodded. "All of it is true, yes. And given he has told you about the fatal effects of the powerful Mangekyo Sharingan, I don't suppose he has told you about his internal suffering for some time now?"

Sasuke swallowed. Fear began to grip at his heart. "How extensive...?" he asked softly.

"As Itachi has told you, the greater the use, the faster the darkness approaches. He has ceased the usage ever since the episode with the Yokusuki and becoming pregnant with the newest generation of Uchiha. He has served his purposes enough, Sasuke. He's grown...weaker, if I am too harsh speaking of it that way, but it is the truth, and you know it good and well. We made a pact to spare your life, and we made the pact now to keep you both away from future plans. Very soon, Pain will make his move on the Hidden Leaf Village - a vital role that will begin the dream I have for the Great Shinobi world."

 _Whatever it is, I'm not supposed to care any longer. My family is my priority above all else._

"Then whatever it is," Sasuke spoke sternly, "I will not have myself or my family in any part of it. You can do what you wish, Madara."

"And like I warned your brother," the elder replied, "the peace you create will not last. You understand that." Sasuke nodded wordlessly. He would not think about the future for the time being; it was too bleak and uncertain. For now, he would live in the present and worry about when the time came later.

~o~

 _Five months later..._

For Itachi Uchiha's part, it was very hard to believe that five months ago he and his brother and their friends defeated the ones who brought them the way they were now - on one side, it was a wrong done to them both in scripture's eyes, but on the other, it brought them the happiness denied from them in the beginning. They'd lived in peace ever since then.

It had also been three months since word got out that Konoha - the very village he and Sasuke once called home - had been destroyed by Pain, who had also been stopped by none other than Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails host now hailed as the hero. He smiled as he looked upon the beautiful late morning sky. "You saved us all, Naruto," he breathed softly, "and you are the savior the village needs. Sasuke should be blessed that you are his friend."

A little tugging of his tunic which was slightly drawn open to reveal his muscled chest made him look down. Shisui was five months old and a happy little boy almost all the time. He laughed lightly. "Oh, forgive me, son," he said, kneeling before the gravestone which had the name of the one he had been named for. "Long time, Shisui-senpai. Meet your nephew, your namesake." He sighed, feeling his smile slip. _Incest is labeled as sinful and abominable...but who is anyone in the clan or anyone in the world left to judge what had been out of our hands? I can see you smiling upon us right now, my friend._

Baby Shisui gurgled and crawled forward, putting his little palm flat against the name of his late uncle. "He would have loved you, little one," Itachi said softly, slipping closer by one on his knees, placing both hands flat on them as he inhaled the smell of the incense. So long it had been to come here and pay respects to the clan, and to think that last time was the day he and Sasuke's lives were changed forever once again - this time for the better. Fate had cruel tricks, sometimes good and unexpected turns that come from those terrors.

"Mother, Father -" He looked up to see Sasuke kneeling before their parents' shared gravestone and let his smile falter. "- for a long time I believed Itachi murdered you and the others in cold blood...but I see now that I was wrong all this time. I was so young to understand, so misguided and wounded more than anyone could possibly understand, but he had his reasons that you both understood. Neither he nor Shisui could have gotten you to change your mind, Father."

Itachi looked back down to see their son sitting on his cute little rear end, looking at him curiously. Chuckling again, he picked the baby up by underneath both arms and held him close as he stood and walked over to where the younger Uchiha was.

Sasuke was finishing. "I came here last time as a 'first things first' resort, just to pay my respects when I had no chance in years, when I took care of that snake...and I found Itachi doing the job for me. It was that day which changed our lives in a way that you would have been sickened. Father, you would have disowned us and exiled us from the clan...but look at us now." Halfway, he turned and smiled at the sight of his older brother and their son which had full blood in his veins. "Meet your grandson, Shisui - our son."

"He'll be fine and strong one day," Itachi said softly, kneeling down to join. "And you would have loved him as I know Shisui, whom we named him for, would have done so. We'll teach him and protect him, give him everything that we never had. He won't be like the both of us." He reached over and placed his hand upon the name UCHIHA when he made the promise. It wasn't long before Sasuke placed his own atop, igniting the sizzle of flesh contact.

"Rest in peace," they said in unison before letting their hands remove themselves from the ancient stone only to intertwine their fingers into each other's...and then their peace was broken.

"Oi, hey, Sasuke! What are you doing here - and why do you have HIM?!"

 _Naruto._

Sasuke rose, baring his teeth. "What the hell are you doing here, dobe?" he hissed, but the blond wasn't fazed. He held both his hands up in surrender. Keeping a hold on their son, Itachi stood and slipped behind his lover. "You are intruding on our sacred rituals to our clan."

The Kyuubi host bared his teeth. "With the one who killed them?" he countered back.

"That's right, because he has every right to be here as I do. And you never answered my question: why are you here?" And just like that, the hostility was gone from Naruto's face, and he cracked his famous grin.

"I was in the area looking for something for the village. After Pain attacked us, we're doing everything we can to rebuild it. Oh, you will never believe the story, Sasuke: his real name is Naguto, and he used to be Jiraiya-Sensei's student, so that made us siblings in a way. Let's just say that because of our deep connection to him was so internal that I had to get through his thick skull that peace CAN be found in this hateful world we live in. He fought so hard for it only to give up and resorted to adding further pain from his own hands." Blue eyes glazed over but didn't let tears fall. "I swore to him as I always swear to everyone as you remember: I never go back on my word."

Itachi smiled at him. He'd anticipated that, and he could see it in Sasuke's eyes even if his stoic guard remained up. "Hn," he said simply. "You're still the same idiot I remember." His lips thinned. "And you have the guts to come and not assume I won't kill you like I promised I would. If you are here to take me back to the Leaf Village now that you know I am here, I will once more say no - and my brother remains by my side. He is all I have left." His fingers tightened when they slipped behind to latch onto Itachi's once more. He felt his skin break out into sweat.

"Sasuke...we should cease the fires."

"Oh, yeah, why are you being the one not wanting to fight, huh?" Naruto asked. "After last time we met?" The gurgling of Shisui got his attention, and his eyes bulged. "W-wait, hold on a second - why is there a _baby?_ "

Sasuke glared at him. "You must NOT breathe a word of this to anyone. It's not a story we will breathe to you only for you to stab us in the back, and it was nothing we chose to do. It is also a long story that Itachi is more patient than I am to talk about." He looked up at Itachi who was only happy to lead them all to the other side of Fukagu and Mikoto's gravestone where they had enough privacy so he could tell their "friend" the whole story. Naruto might have a loud mouth, but he would make sure he would never tell his comrades back at the reconstructing village.

 _The very village I loved and swore to protect...destroyed by Pain's hand and executed mainly by Madara himself. With only a limited number of us left and myself no longer a member, the Akatsuki is sure to disband, and Madara will have to invent other means to strategize his project._

 _And it will be a matter of time before he gains hold of both the Eight and Nine-Tails - the latter in front of me right now._

Speaking of Naruto, when the story was over, his eyes were still wide and his jaw slack enough to let drool drip down one side of his mouth, earning a flick to the forehead from an agitated Sasuke. The blond closed his mouth immediately. "Oh, uh...I don't know what to make of this - but I sure won't say a word!" he promised, making the sign. "Cross my heart, hope to die!"

"You'd better honor it, dobe," Sasuke warned, raising a finger in a warning waving gesture. "I will hunt you down if I have to."

"Oh, no, no, you won't! Because no one knows you live in the Land of Waves but me!"

Sighing, Itachi bounced Shisui up and down, making him laugh and Naruto join in. "He's so cute...can I hold him?" he asked, reaching out. Itachi handed the baby to him, who was very excited to meet the strange young man, but grew attached to him right away as the holder had. "What is his name?"

"Shisui. After a member of our clan and a cousin who was a brother and best friend." _And a man who gave his life for the greater good._ Itachi pinched the baby's cheek before turning to look back into the eyes of Sasuke, his younger brother turned lover and his soul mate who was more than anything he ever wanted in his life. A lifetime of bad blood and hate turned to love and happiness well-deserved.

Both brothers looked back at the son they conceived, in the arms and lap of the ever go-lucky and strong-willed Naruto Uzumaki, the picture melting Itachi's long-hardened heart and bringing forth a smile of trust from Sasuke as well.

 **YES, THAT WAS SO...oh, man the feels. :')**

 **In case anyone wonders if I will do a sequel (since this DOES occur often with other writers and readers), the answer is I don't know. The thing is you don't make a sequel for the sake of it. Some things are best left as they are, but I appreciate those who read this fic. :)**


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